By Stephen Smoot
The Town of Franklin Council tackled a busy agenda last week that addressed issues debated both town and county wide.
Tom Firor from Friends of Beautiful Pendleton County was on the agenda to share concerns about the possible impact of the transport, construction, and operation of wind turbines planned for Jack Mountain.
Council members agreed to let him take the floor first to discuss the potential of 43 wind turbines planned by “Clearway, a California company,” as he described it.
He spoke first of the height of the structures, stating that they rise “taller than the Washington Monument.” Firor then related the first major concern, about the size of vehicles that transport the equipment and how they would navigate Franklin.
It’s not yet clear that these vehicles would go through Franklin to get to Jack Mountain, especially given the sharp turns in Upper Tract on US Route 220. Firor pointed out that if they did, the size of the truck necessary to haul the equipment would extend the distance between the Pendleton Community Bank building and the Elevated Grounds coffee shop.
Firor was asked by council members about specific actions and plans by Clearway and others that indicate that the project is underway. Firor had pointed out before that the company had sought Federal Aviation Administration approval due to the presence of airfields in the general area.
The group also indicated that power generated would not be used in West Virginia. Clearway last year stated that power generated would serve customers in a line north into Preston County and also stated that if needed, the Franklin area would have the benefit of it as well.
In a recent session, the West Virginia State Legislature removed from county commissions the authority to regulate such entities.
Next, the council took up an issue now three months under discussion.
This concerned the debate over signage on the intersection of High and Dogwood in Franklin. Russ Sasso, council member, had sparked debate at a previous session about the three stop signs at that point, encouraging the council to remove one that he said hindered traffic. He recommended replacement with a “Yield” sign.
In a subsequent meeting, county officials Bradley Kimble, sheriff, April Mallow, Pendleton County prosecuting attorney, and Rick Gillespie, county emergency services coordinator, attended to discuss the utility of both the sign’s placement and also enforcing the law concerning it. County emergency officials defended its placement due to the customary speed of vehicles traveling downhill and the limited time available to stop if needed.
One of the issues uncovered in that meeting was that one of the roads, plus the sign Sasso wished removed, operate under the jurisdiction of the West Virginia Department of Highways as opposed to the Town of Franklin.
State engineers came to Franklin to observe traffic at the intersection and provided the town with an answer to the query about replacing the third stop with a yield.
Engineers responded by declining the request to go to two stop signs and a yield. They cited the danger of vehicles coming too fast on the downhill side, even sharing that they almost saw an accident while there. They concluded that the intersection actually required a four-way stop and would have all signs in place by Nov. 1.
Some discussion focused on how motorists currently navigated the intersection safely, but also how younger drivers or those who don’t know the ground or local ways might get confused there.
Sasso objected to the conclusion of the department of highways and urged other town officials to join with him to fight the decision. He then shared pointed criticism of how the Pendleton County Sheriff’s Department enforced traffic laws there and elsewhere in Franklin.
That led to a discussion of law enforcement monitoring traffic on US Route 33 as it enters town near Pendleton County Middle/High School.
Bruce Minor, town recorder and an office of emergency management official, reaffirmed what he had stated in previous meetings, that “I’ll tell you that a lot of them are coming off the hill at 45 (miles per hour)” and that “the stop sign gives somebody a chance.”
He later added that when the town gave up running its own police force, it asked for law enforcement coverage from the sheriff’s department.
Bob Horan, mayor, added he disagreed with putting in the stop sign, fearing that it would create obstruction.
Discussion and debate over that and related issues continued until the mayor said, “I think we’ve discussed it pretty well. We will not take action at this time.”
Sasso responded, “I’m not so sure. Let them know we’ve already explored the experiment” and “it didn’t work out.” He stated that “we shouldn’t roll over for people.”
Frank Wehrle, Franklin town administrator, discussed progress on the water project as it closes on completion. He then shared with town officials a request from Richard Ruddle of the Pendleton County Historical Society. He had requested that the historical uniform on display in town hall be relocated to the historical society’s museum.
Jonie Nelson, town counsel, shared that the donation to the historical society should be legally okay unless someone related to the original donation had an objection.
