Latest news with #FayetteCountyCommission
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fayette County fire budgets discussed at meeting of county commission
FAYETTEVILLE, WV (WVNS) – Members of the community and fire service personnel packed the house at a Wednesday meeting of the Fayette County Commission where commissioners addressed budgets for county fire departments. Recently announced cuts to the Fayette County Fire Levy budget have sparked local debate, with the Fayette County Firefighter's Association asserting that plans to cut nearly half of fire department levy funding creates an unprecedented danger to the community. While individual department budgets were touched on at points during the meeting, little was said specifically to address overall cuts to the Fire Levy budget itself, which Fayette County Commission President John Breneman says will still remain in effect. Local fire service members said they are frustrated and feel that their concerns are not being addressed by commission members in a meaningful way.'We try having a dialogue with them to try to see what these departments need,' said Fayette County Firefighters Association Vice President, Joshua Davis. 'It's really hard to get a dialogue started with them – a seat at the table to try to talk this out.' Despite these frustrations from fire personnel, Brenemen told 59News everyone was given a platform to make their voices heard. 'We gave them an opportunity to ask questions – very few questions were asked,' he said. 'I think that we met the concerns that they had.' Fayette County Fire Departments will continue to utilize funding from the previous levy balance over the next three years. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fayette Commission approves one zoning change, nixes another
At Wednesday's regular meeting of the Fayette County Commission, the commission split in its decisions on recommendations from the Fayette County Planning Commission. The commission first addressed a request from Riverwind Retreat LLC for a change in land classification from R-R (Rural-Residential District) to B-3 (Business, Tourism District). After their discussion and public comments, commissioners unanimously voted down the recommendation. Nathan Thomas, speaking on behalf of the company, detailed Riverwind Retreat's plans for property along Browns Road, which included four one-bedroom cabins — that would be operated in Airbnb fashion — and a wedding event venue. The company's plan called for building along the back side of property adjoining Bridge Haven Golf Course on the Gorge, he said. There are currently no structures on the property, Thomas said. He also said the property would be constantly monitored. Commissioners and members of the public aired several concerns during the hearing, chief of which was how the project would affect traffic on a single-lane road in the nearby residential area. Upon questioning from commission president John Brenemen, Thomas said the plan called for the company to allow traffic to arrive one way and depart via another route. "One thing that's a sticking point for me is the road that you're going to be using ... to go on to your property," said Brenemen. While saying the commission embraces economic development, he said there also had to be concern for the way the project could potentially affect local residents. "If it were a two-lane road, we'd probably be having a different discussion right now." Commissioner Allison Rae Taylor said that, when debating zoning issues, commissioners "tend to look at the character of the neighborhood. That's a very rural area. People don't move to Gatewood to be around other people." A project such as Riverwind Retreat's would alter the characteristic of the neighborhood, she said. Commissioner Greg Fernett asked Thomas what would be done to prevent one-bedroom cabins from being populated by too many people. It will be monitored and there would be a check-in situation, Thomas said. Overcrowding, Thomas said, "would not be good for us, either, for that to happen." "Our road just cannot handle that kind of traffic, just can't," said local resident Christy Bryant, who said she has lived on Browns Road for almost 50 years. During her remarks, Bryant discussed an idyllic situation in which "I hear peepers, I hear children playing, I hear the click of a golf ball. I don't hear a lot of noise. Sometimes you can hear a little bit of the things over in Fayetteville. But, it's so peaceful and so quiet." She expressed concerns with heavier traffic affecting either local children out riding their bicycles or neighbors who have horses or individuals who are just out for a stroll. Bryant said she "vehemently opposes" the development of the property, and she implored commissioners to deny the request. Developers can appeal the county commission's decision through another county board, Brenemen said. The second zoning request met a better fate. Hobo House LLC sought a change in land classification from R-R (Rural-Residential District) to B-2 (Business, Local District) for property on 6.57 acres at 3279 Court St. For Hobo House, Ben Morgan said there have been businesses at the location before. Zoning officer Angela Gerald said the property has never been classified as B-2 but that businesses have been located there. "It is surrounded by businesses, but this lot was grandfathered in," Gerald said. Morgan said he aims to build a restaurant on the site "which perfectly fits into the B2 classification." City water and sewer are provided by Oak Hill, he said. Citing the prevalence of commercial businesses nearby, the commission unanimously upheld the planning commission's recommendation and approved Hobo House's zoning change. Also Wednesday, commissioners met with Jesse Richardson to discuss freshening up the Fayette County United Development Code, which was last updated in 2009. Richardson is a professor of law and the lead land use attorney at the Land Use and Sustainable Development Law Clinic at the West Virginia University College of Law. The commission had already approved utilizing the law clinic for the document process, Brenemen said. Commissioners discussed some issues that might need to be added to the UDC, including ordinances surrounding vaping and solar farms, as well as a planning commission issue. "We've had a couple solar farms reach out to the county and ask about zoning, and we don't have anything," said Brenemen. The overarching discussion revolved around making the UDC more easily decipherable by members of the public. Taylor called the UDC "cumbersome to understand." Richardson will be involved in training for planning commission and board of zoning appeals members in Fayette County in the coming months. Commissioners also approved contracts for improvement projects for the Fayette County Courthouse and the Fayette County Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building. The commission will next meet on March 19.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fayette Commission approves one zoning change, nixes another
At Wednesday's regular meeting of the Fayette County Commission, the commission split in its decisions on recommendations from the Fayette County Planning Commission. The commission first addressed a request from Riverwind Retreat LLC for a change in land classification from R-R (Rural-Residential District) to B-3 (Business, Tourism District). After their discussion and public comments, commissioners unanimously voted down the recommendation. Nathan Thomas, speaking on behalf of the company, detailed Riverwind Retreat's plans for property along Browns Road, which included four one-bedroom cabins — that would be operated in Airbnb fashion — and a wedding event venue. The company's plan called for building along the back side of property adjoining Bridge Haven Golf Course on the Gorge, he said. There are currently no structures on the property, Thomas said. He also said the property would be constantly monitored. Commissioners and members of the public aired several concerns during the hearing, chief of which was how the project would affect traffic on a single-lane road in the nearby residential area. Upon questioning from commission president John Brenemen, Thomas said the plan called for the company to allow traffic to arrive one way and depart via another route. "One thing that's a sticking point for me is the road that you're going to be using ... to go on to your property," said Brenemen. While saying the commission embraces economic development, he said there also had to be concern for the way the project could potentially affect local residents. "If it were a two-lane road, we'd probably be having a different discussion right now." Commissioner Allison Rae Taylor said that, when debating zoning issues, commissioners "tend to look at the character of the neighborhood. That's a very rural area. People don't move to Gatewood to be around other people." A project such as Riverwind Retreat's would alter the characteristic of the neighborhood, she said. Commissioner Greg Fernett asked Thomas what would be done to prevent one-bedroom cabins from being populated by too many people. It will be monitored and there would be a check-in situation, Thomas said. Overcrowding, Thomas said, "would not be good for us, either, for that to happen." "Our road just cannot handle that kind of traffic, just can't," said local resident Christy Bryant, who said she has lived on Browns Road for almost 50 years. During her remarks, Bryant discussed an idyllic situation in which "I hear peepers, I hear children playing, I hear the click of a golf ball. I don't hear a lot of noise. Sometimes you can hear a little bit of the things over in Fayetteville. But, it's so peaceful and so quiet." She expressed concerns with heavier traffic affecting either local children out riding their bicycles or neighbors who have horses or individuals who are just out for a stroll. Bryant said she "vehemently opposes" the development of the property, and she implored commissioners to deny the request. Developers can appeal the county commission's decision through another county board, Brenemen said. The second zoning request met a better fate. Hobo House LLC sought a change in land classification from R-R (Rural-Residential District) to B-2 (Business, Local District) for property on 6.57 acres at 3279 Court St. For Hobo House, Ben Morgan said there have been businesses at the location before. Zoning officer Angela Gerald said the property has never been classified as B-2 but that businesses have been located there. "It is surrounded by businesses, but this lot was grandfathered in," Gerald said. Morgan said he aims to build a restaurant on the site "which perfectly fits into the B2 classification." City water and sewer are provided by Oak Hill, he said. Citing the prevalence of commercial businesses nearby, the commission unanimously upheld the planning commission's recommendation and approved Hobo House's zoning change. Also Wednesday, commissioners met with Jesse Richardson to discuss freshening up the Fayette County United Development Code, which was last updated in 2009. Richardson is a professor of law and the lead land use attorney at the Land Use and Sustainable Development Law Clinic at the West Virginia University College of Law. The commission had already approved utilizing the law clinic for the document process, Brenemen said. Commissioners discussed some issues that might need to be added to the UDC, including ordinances surrounding vaping and solar farms, as well as a planning commission issue. "We've had a couple solar farms reach out to the county and ask about zoning, and we don't have anything," said Brenemen. The overarching discussion revolved around making the UDC more easily decipherable by members of the public. Taylor called the UDC "cumbersome to understand." Richardson will be involved in training for planning commission and board of zoning appeals members in Fayette County in the coming months. Commissioners also approved contracts for improvement projects for the Fayette County Courthouse and the Fayette County Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building. The commission will next meet on March 19.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NAACP Legal Defense Fund sues Fayette County over ‘discriminatory' 2021 electoral map
The NAACP Legal Defense Fund filed a federal lawsuit on Feb. 27, 2025 challenging Fayette County's 2021 electoral map as racially discriminatory. The NAACP Legal Defense Fund filed a federal lawsuit Thursday challenging Fayette County's 2021 electoral map as racially discriminatory. The lawsuit, filed in the Western District of Tennessee, claims that the map adopted by Fayette County commissioners was chosen 'at least in part with the intent to racially discriminate against Black voters,' violating the Voting Rights Act as well as Black Fayette County voters' constitutional rights. 'The facts are clear: The map unfairly targeted Fayette County's Black population,' attorney John Cusick said in a news conference Thursday. 'Although the Black voters make up more than a quarter of Fayette County's population, they have zero representation on the 19-member, all-white county commission.' The Fayette County Commission adopted a redistricting plan with no majority-minority districts against the advice of its own redistricting committee and outside legal counsel. The state comptroller's local redistricting guide requires county legislative bodies to consider minority representation while developing new districts. The commission rejected plans that included districts with majority Black voting age populations, in effect diluting the power of Black voters to elect candidates of their choice, the lawsuit states. 'This map is a shame. It purposefully destroys the electoral opportunities for Black Fayette County voters,' NAACP Fayette-Somerville Branch President Elton Holmes said. 'We see the harm of not having effective representatives for Black people in the county. We need advocates who will respond to the needs of our community, involving issues with schooling, infrastructure, health care, etcetera.' The filing comes after the U.S. Justice Department sued the Fayette County Board of Commissioners in January, similarly alleging that the board violated the Voting Rights Act when it adopted the 2021 redistricting plan. 'This lawsuit sends a clear message that Fayette County must remedy these violations and pass a fair and non-racially discriminatory map,' Cusick said. 'It also honors the legacy of many Black voters and community members here in Fayette County.' Between 1950 and the early 1970s, Black residents were forced to move into Tent Cities when they were evicted from sharecropper housing after registering to vote. Black residents who participated in voter registration drives were also blocked from purchasing groceries and obtaining medical care, according to the University of Memphis. The federal government filed two lawsuits in the 1950s and 1960s to protect Black voters' rights. 'Sixty years later, Black voters again here have no representation on this county map, and the courageous plaintiffs and the community members who are here with us today … honor that legacy (and) continue that fight,' Cusick said. The lawsuit filed Thursday by LDF and Donati Law represents the claims of the NAACP's Fayette-Somerville Branch and five Black Fayette County voters: Christine Woods, Thomas Gilmore, Velisa Fitzpatrick, Willie Luellen, and Marandy Wilkerson. Fayette County, the board of county commissioners, the Fayette County Election Commission Board and Fayette County Administrator of Elections Joshua Tapp are named as defendants. 'The Fayette County Commission is not meeting the needs of Black residents in Fayette County,' Woods stated in a news release. 'Without representation on the County Commission, our priorities have long been ignored, including concerns regarding our public schools, economic development, and access to resources like the Bernard Community Center. The suit seeks to permanently prevent the 2021 map from being used to conduct elections, and the timely creation of 'remedial maps' that include four 'reasonably configured single-member districts in which Black voters comprise the majority.' FINAL-20250227_Fayette-County-TN-Redistricting-Complaint
