Fayette County community gathers to discuss Route 19 Corridor Management Plan

FAYETTEVILLE, WV (WOAY) – The Fayette County Route 19 Corridor Management Plan was started in the 1990’s to manage development applications along route 19.

“It’s been a committee,” said Fayette County Business Owner Gene Kistler. “The planning commission of the county, but it’s also been other people in our business.”

With the New River Gorge now being designated as a national park, there’s even more possibilities for how to develop land that’s still controlled by the county. The question now is how to plan for that development.

“It’s like a pick and choose,” said Fayette County Commissioner Tom Louisos. “They’ve never lived by the standard of what it’s supposed to be”

Louisos believes that doing away with the corridor management plan would benefit Fayette County from a development stand-point, because he believes there is too much legal complication with the current application process.

“If somebody comes in and they don’t rezone them, they’ll say, ‘why didn’t that guy have to follow the same rules and regulations?'” Louisos said.

Fayette County Resident Eric Autenreith says that getting rid of the plan entirely will hurt the county as development could happen too quickly.

“Somebody could decide that they want to build something anywhere,” Autenreith said.

Louisos feels that Fayette County has untapped potential for economic development, but the public wants to be able to manage the change without compromising the beauty and the infrastructure of the county.

“If this is lifted, in my opinion, there will be growth on 10 like you’ve never seen,” Louisos said.

“My concern is that Route 19 doesn’t become overdeveloped,” Kistler said. “Congested.”

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