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Editor, News-Register:
Any local residents interested in preserving Wheeling's environment and ecology should log into "www.wheelingwv.gov/gcp," which is the Wheeling Planning Commission website. All of the public emails concerning GC&P Development are posted there. Believe me, they are eye-openers!
When the page opens, scroll down to comments. The last set of comments are public emails. There are eight batches of emails. Please take the time to read these. You will be astounded at the depth of information from amazingly qualified people who have sent them to the Planning Commission.
If you don't have time to read all of them, then please try to read reports and comments by Sandin Phillipson, PhD geologist. They are in batch 8, pages 159-161; batch 1, pages 9-12; batch 2, pages 20-67; batch 3, pages 79- 82. His depth of knowledge and understanding of what the ramifications would be with the removal of the hilltop are a definite red flag saying read and understand this information.
In addition, James Woods, PHD ecology, has submitted his very learned and vital information and opinion. Their perspectives are not based on monetary gain but rather on their knowledge of earth science and what the results of a project of the magnitude of what GC&P plans would mean to all of our community. In addition, there are emails from doctors, lawyers, teachers, and engineers who are residents of Woodsdale.
Other emails included in the eight groups are from long-time residents who have had to take extreme and expensive measures to protect their homes from the onslaught of both water and mud that have increased exponentially with the removal of trees from the hilltop.
My husband and I moved to Woodsdale 31 years ago to escape the threat of
flooding that occurred each spring in South Wheeling. For 29 years, we did not have a drop of water come into our rec room or basement. However, in August, 2017, we had 16 inches of water come up through the sewer and devastate both our rec room and basement. Our insurance covered only a fraction of the cost of our renovation due to the fact that the water came up through the sewer. In addition, in March of this year, we were hit again, though not as badly. Our neighbor, two houses behind us on Vista Avenue, had a foot of water in her basement. However, the area that was hit the hardest in March is around Miller Street.
In the early '90s, when Stone Gate was developed, there were numerous incidents of extreme flooding in that area (again a breaking down of the hillside). Coincidentally, I met Mr. Michael Hooper, at a Planning Commission meeting. Ironically, he is currently legal counsel for GC&P Development. At that meeting, he informed me that when he bought his home at Stone Gate, he had to put a $50,000 retaining wall behind his house to stop the slippage of the land.
Apparently, the Miller Street area is still vulnerable during hard rains as evidenced by the extreme flooding that occurred there this past March. Mr. Hooper is now trying to convince Wheeling residents that destruction of another hillside would be good for us.
Would it be good for us to put up with the removal and/or destruction of 9 million cubic yards of dirt, rock, etc. over a period of 10 years onto Rt. 88? Just hink of the traffic tie-ups!
GC&P Development touts the increased tax revenue their project could
produce. But would that tax revenue offset the reduced taxes caused by lower property values in Woodsdale? This project has the potential of forcing Wheeling to raise taxes throughout the city.
Although you may not live in Woodsdale, allowing this project to continue has the potential of affecting everybody within the city limits.
If you are a Ward 4 resident, please vote for the one person who is listening to us and trying to help stop the destruction of our hilltop. Please mark Jerry Sklavounakis's name on the ballot when you vote for a city council candidate in June.
Mary Ann Korsnick
Wheeling