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So true. I'm surprised Mon County schools hasn't cracked down yet.
There is little they could do. As long as a legitimate address is provided, who is to say where a child sleeps? They're not going to make an issue of it.
I will give Sheetz credit for recognizing that this area will be a cash cow for them and taking full advantage of it. Every one of their local locations have been a big winner, and they know it.
If this were McDonald's trying to build downtown, people would be trying to stop it - if they wanted to build a big, gaudy, stand-alone restaurant at that site. The fact that it's Sheetz shouldn't change the equation. Treat it like Mickey D's, a big, ugly, red and yellow, neon box.
I was going to say the same thing, Adam. I don't care if 20 sheetz in Morgantown are successful. It's poor development, poor planning, poor value, and does very little to benefit the town.
Okay, let's be realistic here. High Street is the high profile place where great care should be exercised as to what goes in there. Nearly everyone here agrees that we don't want the tall, glass type office building type of facility there that would detract from the college town feel of our city. The Wharf District is another area where care is important, but an office building would fit in well there. The west side of University Ave. has some character with the brewpub and Irish Bar, and with the riverside park, but the circumstances on that street are very different.
To be honest, I was a bit worried about the possibility of having an empty building located where the Chevy dealership is now. Just a block south, there are two empty lots where old buildings were demolished, and nobody has stepped in to develop them yet. To the north, we have the Salvation Army store and the homeless shelter. Granted, there are high end condos across the street near the Westover Bridge, but where the Chevy garage is located I'm not sure we should be all that alarmed as long as something of value is being inserted there, and Sheetz has certainly proven to be valuable in previous developments. I would liketo see the homeless shelter and the Salvation Army store relocated and the road widened north of that site. If this were done, it would releave pressure on traffic and make the location suitable for the gas station.
Sheetz is not "ideal" for that spot, but it is much better than an empty building. At this point, I don't think we should be complaining.
CT, I'm going to have to disagree with you on a few points. I, for one, would love a mixed use building in that place. I'm not saying it would ever happen, but imagine a developer building a mixed use development on that corner and having a pedestrian connection over University Ave. to a smaller building adjacent to the park. That would allow for a better connection between the park, rail trail, river, and downtown. Also, I don't think something mixed-use in that area would detract from the college town feel. Most of the college feel is on High St, Chestnut St., and up by the campus. There is no reason to not have a college town feel coexisting with a small city economy. I just wish the main part of downtown was better connected to the Wharf District.
As for the empty lot, it is awful. I wish that original development (I forget the name) had gone in years ago, but it was killed due to parking issues. Since then, it hasn't been developed because Premier needed the space for their inventory. With the move up to UTC, that area is only going to look worse, but it will have a much better chance of becoming developed.
These generic mixed use places are becoming a dime a dozen BUT I agree with one there. I see tons of people walking back and forth between the waterfront hotel and high st. Put a couple nice bars and restaurants in the bottom floor at that corner, and you give people staying at the hotel an easy walk to a piece of downtown. You'll also drawl people up from the trail.
CT, I'm going to have to disagree with you on a few points. I, for one, would love a mixed use building in that place. I'm not saying it would ever happen, but imagine a developer building a mixed use development on that corner and having a pedestrian connection over University Ave. to a smaller building adjacent to the park. That would allow for a better connection between the park, rail trail, river, and downtown. Also, I don't think something mixed-use in that area would detract from the college town feel. Most of the college feel is on High St, Chestnut St., and up by the campus. There is no reason to not have a college town feel coexisting with a small city economy. I just wish the main part of downtown was better connected to the Wharf District.
As for the empty lot, it is awful. I wish that original development (I forget the name) had gone in years ago, but it was killed due to parking issues. Since then, it hasn't been developed because Premier needed the space for their inventory. With the move up to UTC, that area is only going to look worse, but it will have a much better chance of becoming developed.
That's a good idea to have a mixed use building, but I fear the homeless shelter and SA store in those particular locations, on that side of U. Ave. would discourage that sort of development. I agree that it would be great to tie downtown in better with the Wharf District. An extension of the PRT would help in that regard, as would adequate lighting and a walkway beside the High Street Bridge down to the walking trail (also better lighted) which would provide pedestrian access from Wharf to Downtown and vice versa.
Crossing University Ave. on foot to get there is brutal due to the heavy traffic volume. The walking trail goes under the street and eliminates that problem.
I feel Sheetz is a perfect fit. It provides a whole lot more than gas and downtown needs a place to pickup grocery and food items. I am probably the most affected person in town by the development and I approve. Very few would be able to afford the land in that location. An empty run down big building as you first come into the main part of town would look worse than a clean well kept Sheetz. Also, I was at the council meeting where Sheetz reps. listened to concerns and they were very accommodating in adjusting plans to make this store fit in the area. The commercial property values will only get better with bigger name businesses in the area. We would all like to have our favorite restaurant or retail store come to town but, that is our personal desire. Sheetz runs a quality business and can afford to take over that prime property. It can only attract more business to the area.
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