Oakview neighborhood likely to petition for annexation into Morgantown (Man: houses, neighborhoods)

[adam36]

Here's the last couple days' coverage of the Oakview neighborhoods' plight. In short, sewer and surface water drainage is not functioning properly in this neighborhood of ~225 homes that borders Morgantown. To help pay for the fixes, they are looking to become part of the city, which will allow better financing of their problems through MUB. Here is an article and the accompanying opinion piece from the Dominion Post's editorial staff.

Oakview annexed may be seen as the best storm water fix BY BEN CONLEY
An effort to have the Suncrest neighborhood of Oakview annexed into Morgantown looks to be the latest solution in an ongoing effort to remedy flooding caused by stormwater runoff. Morgantown Utility Board (MUB) General Manager Tim Ball explained as much at Tuesday’s regular MUB meeting. Ball said that following a recent meeting with the Monongalia County Commission, he spoke with Oakview residents who were confident in obtaining the signatures needed to get the annexation request to the city. The county commission previously expressed its willingness to assist in the project — which involves doubling the size of an overwhelmed, 24-inch culvert and drainage pipe. However, as the estimated cost of the project has increased — now more than $600,000 — the commission made it known that the majority of the project’s cost would have to be borne by the residents. To that end, the commission looked into a possible assess- ment, which, Ball said, “seems too difficult to actually achieve in that area.” Which brings annexation back to the forefront. If Oakview is annexed into Morgantown, “the stormwater issue becomes MUB’s stormwater issue, and the area will be subject to our storm water management,” Ball said. He said that since the issue is pre-existing, MUB would not contribute to funding the fix. What MUB could do, however, is offer a stormwater surcharge to the new MUB customers. “That would act, effectively, as the assessment that the county proposed, but ours is much simpler and a very practical matt e r, ” Ball said. Regardless of the outcome of the annexation effort, work will begin in the area this summer as a standing West Virginia Public Service Commission order dictates that MUB must address the condition of the existing sanitary sewer lines. The board approved a bid of $392,435 by Glenn Johnson Construction for the job, with the caveat that if Oakview is annexed, plans would likely change. “Approve and authorize me to revise the scope and price of that contract as necessary based on these circumstances that we’re still trying to determine,” Ball recommended to the board. Ball said he envisions work on the sewer lines to begin by June 1.

Annexation may not be all wet.
Oakview area residents weigh incorporation into city at risk of further flash flooding.
It’s difficult to imagine a more poisoned word in West Virginia than “zoning.” But “annexation” usually comes in a close second, in most instances. For the record, we support efforts to designate land use for certain purposes — zoning — and incorporating areas into municipalities — annexation. Zoning and annexation are probably the most valuable tools a city has to ensure orderly growth and development. Does that mean we support imposing either of those processes on an area without its residents’ support? Let’s be clear: No. However, if a majority of property owners or business owners in a neighborhood, district or other locale back such a move, then we support that effort. In recent years, residents of five subdivisions —more than 220 houses — bordering the Suncrest area of Morgantown have continued to seek a solution to chronic flooding from stormwater runoff in their neighborhood. Some of these residents, by now, are probably qualified to write a how-to book on cutting through the red tape of government. They have persevered throughout this process in negotiations with the Morgantown Utility Board (MUB), the Monongalia County Commission and Morgantown’s leaders. Not to mention, we suspect, they have also run a gantlet of state and federal agencies. Now, it appears these residents are going to circulate a petition to request annexation by Morgantown. Previously, the County Commission indicated it would help these residents pay for this flood-control project. Then, as this project’s price tag increased, the commission made it known that residents would bear the brunt of these costs. The latest estimates put the cost of doubling the size of drainage pipe and a culvert in this neighborhood beyond $600,000. Imposing an assessment on the residents by MUB looked to be problematic. Instead, the plan is to annex this area, allowing MUB to levy a stormwater surcharge on the residents once they are city residents. Since this was a pre-existing condition, MUB, nor the city’s other residents, will have to contribute to paying for this improvement in a newly incorporated area. We ’re unsure of what this surcharge will be. However, we are sure these residents, if their neighborhood is annexed, will also be assessed a fire fee, building permit fees and so on in the future. Yet, all of those fees don’t add up to what one flash flood could do to these homes overnight. Not to mention to the long-term value of this property. Even worse, it’s not easy to imagine a more certain unfortunate event in this area without flood control.

[CTMountaineer]

If this takes place, it will be a rare example of an area actually seeking to be annexed into a city. It would be good for Morgantown, and apparently the area itself, but these days residential areas seeking to be tied to the major expenses and regulations involved with operating urban areas are few and far between.