By Stephen Smoot
About 30 citizens joined the Pendleton County Commission on Monday night to inquire about the proposed County purchase of the former Franklin Elementary School. The building most recently housed Redeeming Grace Outreach Worship Center.
“We just thank You so much,” prayed Roger Dahmer, commissioner, during his customary invocation.
Carl Hevener, Pendleton County Commission president, opened the public meeting by stating its purpose. He explained that the county has seen “flooding in places where it hasn’t happened before” and that, plus the opportunity to purchase, have motivated the County to consider buying it.
“It is a flood-prone community,” Dahmer added. Then he said, “Who’s crystal ball can tell us where the next flood’s coming through and how bad it will be.”
Rick Gillespie, Pendleton County Emergency Services coordinator, explained the problem. In the 40 years since the devastating flood of 1985, the river has accumulated layers of debris in its bed. He compared it to “if you put a few concrete blocks in your bathtub full of water.”
Commissioners from Pendleton, Grant, and Hardy counties have complained to the federal government for decades about the accumulation of debris and regulations that prevent the Potomac Valley Conservation District from taking steps to alleviate the problem.
In Pendleton, it has raised the levels of the rivers and made them more liable to flooding while also creating water hazards for those who enjoy floating through Smoke Hole. Grant and Hardy commissioners worry most about a mass of trees, shrubs, rocks, and dirt just upstream from a major bridge connecting Moorefield and Petersburg.
A number of county entities, such as the Office of Emergency Management, the Public Service District, and West Virginia University Extension Service, as well as the Franklin Volunteer Fire Department and Pendleton County Rescue Squad, rely on a building that a major flood could render unusable – or even completely destroy it. The Pendleton County Health Department also technically sits above the flood plain mark, but just barely.
All of this convinced county elected and emergency management officials to explore the opportunity to purchase the former school.
Attendees had a number of questions for commissioners. Some revolved around the baseless rumor that the county had run out of money constructing the courthouse annex. Hevener explained that the county had carefully shepherded funds for 17 years. “We’ve got enough to buy the school and also have a surplus,” he stated.
Karen Pitsenbarger, Pendleton County administrator, explained why the county used a United States Department of Agriculture loan instead of funds in place to build the annex. She walked all through the maze-like process and emphasized that they applied for the loan as a backstop to county funds, but the USDA also requires that if the loan is granted, that funds from it be used first.
The county sought the backstop because state regulations forced them to work with the West Virginia State Supreme Court of Appeals mandates, which resulted in an estimated tripling of the cost.
This answered the questions of those worried about the expense. County officials agreed that the timing of the purchase and the annex construction was not ideal.
Tom Firor and others worried about the roads leading to and from the former school and if the emergency vehicles could traverse them effectively and safely. It was pointed out that school buses had little issue with access. Dahmer shared that no plans are in place as of yet to move emergency services there from their current home.
Others raised concerns about asbestos, but Gillespie shared that a 2013 study indicated no danger back when the facility still served students. He explained that if left undisturbed, the asbestos would cause no issue.
Commissioners planned to hold a vote on the purchase in the regular meeting the following morning.
