Mt. Hope, WV (WOAY) This Tuesday at Mount Hope’s city hall meeting, many concerned citizens attended for an update on the town’s contentious plans to build an RV park on flood buyout land in Bailey’s Bottom.
The elephant in the room: a letter sent to the city of Mt. Hope on July 7th from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. The NRCS wanted to remind the city that the purpose of the buyout program is to restore floodplains to natural conditions. The letter explicitly stated that installation of an RV park would not be allowed under the federal program, as it would be considered developed recreation and likely violate many of the program’s restrictions.
Mayor Kessinger said that the town was blindsided by the letter, but councilwoman Patricia Conelly said they knew about the NRCS restrictions since the project’s conception in 2014:
“The angst this project has caused to the most affected property owners and citizens cannot be understated, and would have been avoided entirely if there had been transparency and a willingness to follow the guidelines…which have been in effect since the Dunloup Creek project ended in 2014.”
The letter raises questions about how the town will pay for engineering work already completed and about federal funding for other town projects, such as the creek restoration.
“Under HUD Regulation 24 CFR 5822…, ‘cities cannot commit HUD or non-HUD funds nor undertake activity prior to completion of the environmental clearance. The penalty can result in cancellation of federal funding for the project.’ If HUD will not permit funds to be used for costs incurred already, then who is responsible for payment?
Conelly suggested the responsibility could fall to those who planned the project:
“I am requesting that a formal independent investigation be held to review the full evolution of these projects to determine if there was a deliberate misleading of facts in order to obtain federal grants, or whether it was by sheer incompetence that we are now faced with this current situation.”
The NRCS letter wasn’t a coincidence. Conelly applauded the many citizens who did their research, wrote letters, and made phone calls to government agencies to shed light on the Bailey’s Bottom project.
“You did your due diligence and may have protected the city from potential disaster. I also want to remind citizens that if anyone feels they are being targeted or retaliated against, this is a violation of your First Amendment rights and an abuse of power. ”
As she attempted last month, Conelly made an official motion to relocate the park.
Despite the statement from the federal government, the council voted nay, 3 to 2 in the roll call vote, wanting to avoid a hasty decision and take the next month or longer to consider all options, as councilwoman Patty Logan explained:
“You have to take the time to make a decision like that. And this just happened a very few days ago… If it’s going to be reversed, it takes time to do that sort of thing. And I don’t think that anybody should be held accountable for that; if they’re trying to help this town, I think that they should be commended.”
When asked how the project could proceed in Bailey’s Bottom, Mayor Michael Kessinger said he’s not sure if there can be an RV park anymore, but the city hopes to figure it out:
“That’s the question. That’s the question we’re working through right now and what our options are from this point.”
Also discussed was $788 thousand awarded by HUD for the restoration of Mount Hope’s football stadium, which the town will have to stretch wisely before Greater Beckley Christian School’s upcoming football season.
Regarding public comments and questions about the RV park, stadium, and other projects, Mayor Kessinger said the city council will need to take the next month to assess the current situation.
“…We’ve got a lot to discuss. There’s a lot of conversations happening and that will continue to happen over the course of the next month.”
