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The town doing well is more luck associated with circumstances in their favor (WVU, natural gas, etc) than any actual planning.
I suspect it's been awhile since you spent any significant time here. I live here. Things are going very well. It helps that we have great resources to help that happen, but there's more to it than luck. There are a lot of towns with universities that aren't doing nearly as well, and 90% of northern Appalachia has the gas deposits. A lot of those areas aren't doing so well yet either. We have a lot more going for us around here than just the things you mentioned.
On another note, I got in communication with the regional YMCA Director about a Y in Morgantown and he responded that there is interest from their quarter about such a development so who knows... Bailey and Pharm just might be catalysts to indirectly help bring it about. It seems because of the inquiry, the folks who count will be discussing this matter from a positive perspective. Believe me, if it happens I will make sure credit is given where it is due. It might not have come up for discussion without this discussion here? Wouldn't it be something if because of this a development of this magnitude eventually takes place?
I've done some more checking. Apparently there was some concern about competition in other areas besides fitness clubs too. There is a Boys and Girls Club here and there was concern about effects on that too. There is a new City Manager in place now, and he assures me that they would look favorably on a new Y at this point.
The town doing well is more luck associated with circumstances in their favor (WVU, natural gas, etc) than any actual planning.
Morgantown is booming, but I will admit the city doesnt have any planning. None at all. This is especially apparent in its no-zoning laws. The area is the most educated in WV and has the highest quality life in the state, so it will naturally thrive.
If the city, and the county, had more planning it would thrive even more.
If Charleston would give Morgantown its fair share it would greatly help the state as a whole. Too bad the politicians are too greedy, corrupt, and short-sighted.
So they put the interest of a few private businesses ahead of the whole community?
Well, you know how politicians can be... Actually, I think they had good motives. There are some negatives but the more I think about it I believe a Y would be a good thing for Morgantown. I think I'm going to heed Bailey and Pharm's advice and advocate for one. I made a couple preliminary contacts and got a favorable response from both of them.
I suspect it's been awhile since you spent any significant time here. I live here. Things are going very well. It helps that we have great resources to help that happen, but there's more to it than luck. There are a lot of towns with universities that aren't doing nearly as well, and 90% of northern Appalachia has the gas deposits. A lot of those areas aren't doing so well yet either. We have a lot more going for us around here than just the things you mentioned.
I lived there up until like 7 months ago. Unless things have changed to an unbelievable degree, I probably have a grasp on the town. And WVU is clearly the main reason Morgantown is doing better than every city in the state outside of Martinsburg. I'm not even sure how this could be argued otherwise. If WVU were deleted from existence and moved elsewhere, Morgantown's economy would die. Everything that is there is there because of WVU.
Well, you know how politicians can be... Actually, I think they had good motives. There are some negatives but the more I think about it I believe a Y would be a good thing for Morgantown. I think I'm going to heed Bailey and Pharm's advice and advocate for one. I made a couple preliminary contacts and got a favorable response from both of them.
I lived there up until like 7 months ago. Unless things have changed to an unbelievable degree, I probably have a grasp on the town. And WVU is clearly the main reason Morgantown is doing better than every city in the state outside of Martinsburg. I'm not even sure how this could be argued otherwise. If WVU were deleted from existence and moved elsewhere, Morgantown's economy would die. Everything that is there is there because of WVU.
I won't argue with that. There is no question that The University is the main growth engine here. But, it isn't going to go away. It is changing directions in a way that will result in even greater growth for the area. And, the areas many assets are complimentary to that endeavor.
In the past, the impetus has been in the direction of growing the student body. That is no longer the case. Now, the focus is on growing graduate programs and research. That will result in proportionately more growth here. The impossible efforts in some sectors of our state to clone WVU at taxpayer expense are having a negative result for everyone, but the momentum is in place in Morgantown to have meaningful growth regardless of what anyone else does.
I won't argue with that. There is no question that The University is the main growth engine here. But, it isn't going to go away. It is changing directions in a way that will result in even greater growth for the area. And, the areas many assets are complimentary to that endeavor.
In the past, the impetus has been in the direction of growing the student body. That is no longer the case. Now, the focus is on growing graduate programs and research. That will result in proportionately more growth here. The impossible efforts in some sectors of our state to clone WVU at taxpayer expense are having a negative result for everyone, but the momentum is in place in Morgantown to have meaningful growth regardless of what anyone else does.
...but this goes back to my original argument that the people in charge of the area are seeing growth IN SPITE of their poor planning.
Morgantown needs to annex the entire county somehow...because its a disaster of planning.
There hasn't been a lot of planning on the county level, but the major obstacles have been the state's unwillingness to do its job with infrastructure. There has been quite a bit of planning on the part of the city and The University. WVU is especially doing a great job of pulling things together, and unlike some institutions in the state is doing so in a fiscally sound fashion. The U. is reacting to demand rather than trying to create it. And, they have every duck in a row financially before they undertake an expansion project, not utilizing funding that should be going to an existing program.
Morgantown and WVU are much better managed financially than either our federal or state goverenment (which claims to have a surpluss, but who wouldn't have a surpluss if they didn't do anything).
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