Neighborhood Character Is a Key to Shape Future of Wheeling
Eric Ayres Trending
WHEELING - Participants in the third public workshop on the development of Wheeling’s next 10-year Comprehensive Plan held lively discussions on the needs and priorities of the city’s many neighborhoods - which officials say is a key to defining the character of the community’s future.
The city hosted the workshop Thursday night at Wheeling Park’s White Palace. Representatives of Evolve, the Pittsburgh-based consulting firm hired by the city to assist in the development of the next 10-year Comprehensive Plan, and Wheeling officials participated in the session. Local business owners and several city residents also took part in the public workshop.
Cities in West Virginia are required by law to update their Comprehensive Plan every 10 years. The city’s Comprehensive Plan will focus on revitalization and reinvestment in public spaces, business districts and neighborhoods. As kind of a roadmap to the future, a Comprehensive Plan describes a community vision and the next steps to make it a reality. The plan will be used as a guide to inform future land use regulations and help cultivate growth and development for the next decade.
Development of the plan has been taking place over the past year through a four-part planning process that involved extensive community input through online surveys and in-person workshops. The information gathering phases are coming to a conclusion this fall, and the plan will soon go through the process of being adopted.
"After this meeting, we - the consultants - will take all of the responses we got here today, we’re going to develop and package a final plan that we will deliver first to our steering committee to review," said Ashley Cox, associate urban designer and planner at Evolve. "And then we’ll release it to the planning commission on Oct. 14 for a review. And then after - cross our fingers - the planning commission approves the plan, it will go on to city council for approval either on Dec. 12 or Dec. 31."
The plan must be approved by the end of the year. Afterward, there will be a fourth public workshop - likely sometime in January - focusing on putting the plan into action.
"It’s to just talk about a launch," Cox said. "What are some of the implementation steps after the plan is complete? And it’s more of a celebration than anything."
Although the public workshops prior to the plan’s adoption are completed, citizens in Wheeling can still participate in the process and weigh in with thoughts about the city’s future.
Ashley Cox of Pittsburgh-based Evolve, the city of Wheeling’s consultant for the development of its next Comprehensive Plan, welcomes participants to a third public workshop aimed at gathering community input on the future of the city’s neighborhoods. (Photo by Eric Ayres)
"It’s important that more people participate in the surveys," Cox noted. "We still have those surveys on the city’s website. People can still take those surveys online."
Cox said the priorities of the Comprehensive Plan can still change as more information is received.
Currently, the phase II summary of top priorities in Wheeling for an action plan include topics related to the economy, culture, development, resilience, housing and mobility. Assets listed for Wheeling include its recreation and green spaces, retail and businesses, arts and culture, community and families, and Main Street and the Streetscape.
According to the phase II summary, top "catalytic projects" from the last community workshop include the creation of walkable districts, riverfront development, equitable transit options, flooding and landslide mitigation and other efforts aimed at supporting economic growth.
"All of the conversations that we’ve had and the data we collected can be found on summary reports on the city’s website, and you can check it out now if you’d like," Cox said. The summaries can be found at www.wheelingwv.gov/departments/buildingandplanning/comprehensive-plan.
Those participating in discussions Thursday night hit on several recurring themes - such as walkability, sidewalk repair, connecting neighborhoods, taking advantage of waterways, creation of more green spaces, revitalization, creation of housing, support of more mixed-use areas
With more development coming to Woodsdale, some residents pushed for improved walkability and stressed how difficult it is to cross National Road as a pedestrian in many areas.
Residents participating in a small group discussion share thoughts on the needs of the neighborhoods surrounding the Wheeling University campus. Small groups pitched ideas for all of Wheeling’s neighborhoods Thursday night during the third public workshop for development of Wheeling’s next 10-year Comprehensive Plan. (Photo by Eric Ayres)
"We talked about the connectivity between eastern parts of Wheeling and downtown - specifically getting up over the hill from the Fulton area into downtown," said city resident Michael Borsuk, adding that his groups discussed sidewalk improvements and possible incentives to help motivate property owners to invest in sidewalk repairs, as it is their responsibility.
"For Wheeling Island, we talked about mixed-use development and how we could better use some of the empty spots - infill housing, and a lot of talk about the riverfront," Councilman Ben Seidler said, noting that improved transportation between the Island and Downtown was also discussed for his neighborhoods.
Councilman Tony Assaro said waterfront development could enhance the riverside neighborhood of Warwood, which he represents in Ward 1.
Councilwoman Connie Cain said that in her Ward 3 areas, they would like to see a stronger connection and increased commerce between the Downtown and East Wheeling neighborhoods. Cain said many seniors have a hard time getting around to certain areas, noting that perhaps more public transit is needed between residential areas and locations like Center Wheeling and the Centre Market destination. In South Wheeling, additional housing is needed, as is a continued focus on enhanced arts and culture.
Former Ward 3 Councilwoman Rosemary Ketchum, who resides in South Wheeling, noted that the neighborhood has an industrial past that opens the door to a unique, more residential future.
"I really think South Wheeling is the neighborhood in the city with the most untapped potential," Ketchum said, noting the need for more housing and more green spaces.
For more information on the Comprehensive Plan development, visit the city’s website or contact Wheeling Building and Planning Director B.J. Delbert at 304-234-3702 or via email at bdelbert@wheelingwv.gov.
Several colored sticky notes with brainstormed ideas from participants pepper a neighborhood map of Woodsdale during Thursday night’s Comprehensive Plan workshop at the White Palace. (Photo by Eric Ayres)
Wheeling City Councilman Ben Seidler speaks about Wheeling Island during a small group session Thursday night related to the development of the city’s next 10-year Comprehensive Plan. (Photo by Eric Ayres)
Different neighborhoods in Wheeling have different needs and priorities, and participants in Thursday night’s Comprehensive Plan workshop shared ideas about how to improve the city’s neighborhoods in the future. (Photo by Eric Ayres)