By Sarah Richardson
At the August meeting of Lewisburg City Council, Mayor Beverly White announced that the city has been named an All-Star Community by the West Virginia Municipal League during its summer awards event.
“Only nine cities are named All-Star Communities in the whole state each year,” said Mayor Beverly White.
Following the announcement, council shifted to planning and development matters. The Planning Commission reported it had met several times in July to review projects, including a proposed Planned Unit Development (PUD) on State Route 219 North, known by locals as the old Reynolds Farm, by Monti Semper Liberi.
The developer has requested the property be rezoned as a PUD to allow for a mix of residential and commercial uses. Councilmember Valerie Pritt described the project as “a micro-city, for lack of a more specific word,” adding that it would blend housing, businesses, and green space.
City Manager Misty Hill said the City has been working closely with the developer to ensure a balanced project. One concern that the City had was that there is a potential for the residential portion to be built first, leaving the commercial development unfinished.
“I think the concern from the City would be that the commercial part doesn’t get developed,” Little said.
To add security to the project, the City drafted a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that was reviewed by Councilmembers. The intent of the MOU is to bolster the security of the development of not just the residential units, but of the green spaces and the commercial aspects of the project, as well.
“Commercial is the biggest component to the PUD,” said Hill, “Because a Planned Unit Development needs to be able to thrive inside that community. So just developing housing, it’s not just a housing development that we’re working on; we’re working on a Planned Unit Development. And the MOU does that, it guarantees that commercial build, that green space, because that large of a housing development would put a lot of stress on our infrastructure.”
Council voted to approve the Memorandum of Understanding with the developer, with only Councilmember Sarah Elkins casting a “symbolic no” vote.
The Planning Commission also updated council on the city’s wayfinding signage project. Following the installation of a new kiosk outside City Hall, officials proposed that downtown business owners will be asked annually to confirm their information for updated maps. The kiosk’s panels are designed to be replaced on a regular basis to keep the information current.
In other business, two students from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) introduced a new program, Partner with an O-Student. The initiative pairs medical students with community members managing long-term health conditions such as high blood pressure or respiratory issues.
“We want to understand and hear the many challenges that one faces when managing their health so we can become better, more empathetic physicians that practice not only medicine, but compassion,” one student explained. More details about the program will be released in the coming months.
