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Kim Wills
Member
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Posted: Thu Mar 13th, 2008 12:31 am |
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Well, I have a petition of over 800 people who were opposed to it that I submitted to the Commission. That matters little when they have their mind set on something they can't afford. Many more were opposed but unwilling to sign their names.
I have a question for those businesses in town. If the courthouse was moved to the CSX location and was still had an architecture that befitted a small town community, wouldn't this allow for better foot traffic? People could park at the present lot, then walk to the stores, the Antique mall building, and then to the courthouse and back. This would actually elongate the walkabilty and would encourage more stores in the far side of town. That couldn't be bad for business. The added parking is a bonus for stores and restaurants in town. The parking lot is usually full on weekends and lunch time during the week.
The "Heart" of our town is our historic park with the Lord Fairfax Springs. Most tourists travel to Berkeley Springs for its waters and art. The fact is that tourists do not care where our courthouse is. Those of us who use the courthouse are more worried about making the building feasible for parking and accessibility.
Kim
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John Mattson
Member
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Posted: Wed Mar 12th, 2008 06:48 pm |
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Kim - I will definitely support you on this and will be at the meeting when you get on the agenda.
If nothing else, I may try and get some folks together and do a survey of those that turn out to vote on May 13th, or in front of Food Lion, the post office, where we can. So we can go back to the Commissioners with a factual number of folks for and against building their dream.
John
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Jeanne Mozier
Member
| Joined: | Wed Mar 12th, 2008 |
| Location: | West Virginia USA |
| Posts: | 12 |
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Offline
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Posted: Wed Mar 12th, 2008 02:08 pm |
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1. US Silica is not selling their HQ building.
2. Moving the Courthouse out of town is a bad idea and one that would toll the death knell for anything remotely approaching the traditional town we now have and that is our major tourist attraction.
3. Move the Courthouse out of town and everyone needs to get in a car to do business. Plus it totally cuts off the business of the county from the people who do not go there purposefully. For all the people who are continually demanding more input into public life, this would have the exact opposite effect. Look at the serious hole left in community fabric by the Post Office moving out of the heart of town.
In response to "of reason", the Courthouse is NOT the property of the people who work there or the current or future elected officials, it is the community's building, the people's building. While I am proud of how quickly county officials got the business of government back up and running after the fire, I for one do NOT support having my county represented by a collection of trailers.
4. I cannot imagine what the person is thinking who says that no one in town has any interest in the courthouse -- obviously someone who does not spend much time either in town or in contact with people in town.
5. In the scheme of what we pay taxes for -- and get in return -- a Courthouse that reflects the charm and character of our community is high on my list. I'm not interested in another nondescript, tasteless piece of modern building (I would not dignify the US Silica HQ by calling it architecture -- or the post office for that matter) and I'm willing to put my money where my mouth is -- and do by paying significant property tax in this county.
I will not reprint my recent letter to the editor of the Messenger giving all my reasons for keeping the courthouse in town but would be happy to forward it to Voice if asked. Also, in today's paper, please note that the Chamber of Commerce is supporting keeping the Courthouse on its current site.
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Kim Wills
Member
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Posted: Tue Mar 11th, 2008 12:31 am |
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I am planning on going back on the agenda at the recommendation of someone in the know. They are still trying to push a completed three story project. We only have almost 4 million and a $325,000 annual debt possibility. Please help me keep this issue in the forefront. I will post a time, here but need lots of support to get the facts out there.
Kim
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Rusty Shackelford
Member
| Joined: | Mon Mar 3rd, 2008 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 7 |
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Posted: Tue Mar 4th, 2008 03:08 am |
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There is a group of satirist that wrote about this very issue in a pseudo journalistic manner. Here is a copy of that article from pfa2190.blogspot.com (used with permission)
Gratuitous Spending, A Word With Our President
RMD: Mr. President a great tradgedy has befallen our beloved Mardonia, we have lost our Empiracle Building
PFA: When did that happen?
RMD: Sir you're in charge and should know as an elected official that we have been operating without our courthouse for some time.
PFA: Oh, yea, I remember that now, what about it?
RMD: Rumor has it that you and your officers have decided to raise taxes to build a new courthouse and are accruing a multi million dollar debt for our county to build it. A lot of our citizens are angry about these tax hikes for our new courthouse that burned down do you think that this tradgedy could of been averted.
PFA: Well do you know how much smoke detectors cost? They just happen to cost 12.5 million dollars, and where would you like me to get that kind of money.
RMD: Sir, smoke detetctors only cost five dollars, I think you're referring to the cost of our burnt down courthouse.
PFA: Now it wouldn't do any good to put a smoke detector in a burnt down courthouse now would it? You thought you had me!
RMD: *sigh* At any rate sir, could the county use the soon to be closed War Memorial Hospital building for the new courthouse, and would this alternative be more cost effective than building a new courthouse.
PFA: But I want a new one!
RMD: Also sir, don't you think that the new parking lot left by the dismembered courthouse is good for local businesses.
PFA: I really need to get some parking meters in that parking lot, I'm losing my ass on that. OK I got a solution we'll get a circus to loan us a tent and we'll keep the courthouse there. That way I can keep myself entertained with the elephants, and the bearded lady. How awesome would that be, our government inside a circus....awesome.
RMD: I hardly see how that solves the...
PFA: I have made my decision! and it will stand. *Note to self, call Barnum and Bailey*
RMD: Thank you sir for another incredibly complicated solution to a simple problem.
RMD
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ofReason
Member
| Joined: | Thu Jan 10th, 2008 |
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| Posts: | 4 |
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Posted: Thu Jan 10th, 2008 06:36 pm |
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brobey wrote: This is not my idea but one by Allen Truax mentioned which I think has merit. Why can't the local governments buy the headquarters buildings at U.S. Silica and set up a Bath/Morgan County government center. I'm sure U.S. Silica would be willing to make a deal and it would certainly be cheaper than building a new one.
Honestly, there is no reason financially that they can't do this, but the mentality of elected officials often leans towards the physical aspects of a shiny brand spanking new building that dominates the surrounding area, and "shows" the community that it is there. Using an existing building, while it saves the taxpayers over 2 million dollars (don't quote me on this, iirc 2.2 million), doesn't have the same "cultural appeal" as said monument to excess.
The cultural, artistic, and fiscal heart of Berkeley Springs is the town of Bath, on the corner of the so called Town square. Current plans call to rebuild a modern styled courthouse on the site that the original was. Personally, I can't understand why it's important to have a government and judiciary building in an area where the people in that area will have little or no interest in it.
jmho
___or Reason
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Bruce Robey
Member
| Joined: | Sat Nov 24th, 2007 |
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| Posts: | 2 |
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Posted: Wed Jan 2nd, 2008 11:24 pm |
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This is not my idea but one by Allen Truax mentioned which I think has merit. Why can't the local governments buy the headquarters buildings at U.S. Silica and set up a Bath/Morgan County government center. I'm sure U.S. Silica would be willing to make a deal and it would certainly be cheaper than building a new one.
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