[Green] Williamstown Women's Club meeting today on wetlands

[Kelcey Jacobs]

I agree that the women's group "soft approach" is probably better
initially.   And I hope we get a response.  If we don't, then I would lean
toward Canon's approach. Unfortunately, I don't exactly trust the system.

On Wed, Nov 11, 2020 at 7:28 AM Kelcey Jacobs <cvspedteacher at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Thank you Dawn for sharing all this information.
>
> On Tue, Nov 10, 2020 at 11:25 PM Dawn Hewitt via Green <green at fuusm.org>
> wrote:
>
>> Friends,
>>
>> I seem to be involved in three mutually exclusive groups, all of whom
>> oppose plans (stated or not) to fill the wetlands. I am sending this email
>> to two of those groups: The Green Sanctuary Committee of the First
>> Unitarian Universalist Society of Marietta (of which I am co-chair), and an
>> unaffiliated group of local birders.
>>
>> This afternoon I attended the Williamstown Women’s Club discussion of the
>> Williamstown Wetlands and the rumor that owner Chris Bender plans to fill
>> it. Part of the challenge is that Ms. Bender has not publicly stated such
>> intentions. Eight people (including two men!) attended the discussion, and
>> seven of the eight were clearly protective of the wetlands. One gentleman
>> was silent, but was clearly friendly with the others in attendance. Six
>> people there were residents of Williamstown (although two lived just north
>> of town limits on Waverly Road), and one is with the Little Kanawha
>> Resource Conservation & Development organization, which, is the legal
>> sponsor of the $95,000 grant monies that turned “The Swamp” into the
>> wetlands.
>>
>> Although I’m attaching my poorly organized notes from the meeting, let me
>> give you a nutshell of the highlights:
>>
>> Today’s group was under the impression that Chris Bender attended a
>> Williamstown Planning Commission meeting last night seeking a variance for
>> a casino. Apparently, a town ordinance prohibits casinos from locating
>> within 1,000 feet of each other. HOWEVER, I have a friend (Martha McGovern)
>> who serves on the plan commission, and she told me tonight that the
>> commission did not meet last night, and that she has heard nothing about
>> plans for a casino on DaVinci property, nor about plans to fill the
>> wetlands.
>>
>> The Women’s Club is also under the impression that Ms. Bender will need a
>> permit from the Plan Commission to fill the wetlands before she can go to
>> city council to make the proposal, but Martha said that the Plan Commission
>> has no such power. She said the Plan Commission does research and advises
>> city council, but has no real power and does not grant permits or variances.
>>
>> Several people at today’s meeting noted that Bender has attended several
>> city council meetings lately, but her plans for the wetlands have never
>> been on the agenda. Some are worried that she’s working under the
>> table—similar to how a gun range was approved south of town, with no public
>> knowledge or input.
>>
>> D.J. Allen, of the Little Kanawha R.C. & D., has a huge file folder of
>> all the historic paperwork regrind improvements to “the swamp." Attached
>> are photos of the 2006 and 2007 agreements to improve the wetlands from
>> D.J.’s files. She is concerned that her agency will have to repay $80,000
>> in grants if the wetlands is filled in!  Chris Bently won’t be liable,
>> since she had no involvement in the original contracts, refused to renew
>> the agreement in 2017.  The women’s club is very willing to continue paying
>> insurance for the wetlands (as they historically have done) and to fund
>> maintenance it. But without a contract, they can’t.
>>
>> They said if Bender is concerned about liability, she should sign the
>> contract and let the Women’s Club continue to pay the insurance! Liability
>> is not Bender’s primary concern about the wetlands. However, she might
>> reasonably want better access to the parking lot via Waverly Avenue.
>> Getting into and out of  DaVinci’s parking lot from Highland Avenue is a
>> genuine issue. Maybe the win-win would be to figure out a way to develop
>> parking lot access from Waverly Avenue that doesn’t damage the wetlands.
>>
>> One person in attendance, Fred Cannon, wants to make sure the public is
>> well aware of Bender’s plans. The group presently plans to attend the City
>> Council meeting on November 17, and during the public comment period at the
>> end of the meeting, get a crowd of people to state opposition to filling
>> the wetland—even if such plans haven’t been made public. Nip it in the bud!
>> Write letters to the editor! Write letters to the Army Corps of Engineers
>> and to the WV Department of Environmental Protection! To city council
>> members, and state legislators. Make a stink ASAP. “We’re too old to be
>> patient!”
>>
>> The group wondered what should be their plan of action if bulldozers
>> start filling in the wetlands in the middle of the night. Maybe call the WV
>> Department of Environmental Protection?
>>
>> Mark Mondo, who is developing land between Williamstown and Henderson
>> Hall, plans to include a fancy restaurant and casino as part of the
>> development. Bender fears that will draw patronage from DaVinci’s. So, she,
>> too, wants a casino to compete.
>>
>> A group from the Women’s Club plans to draft a polite and respectful
>> letter to Chris Bender tomorrow (Wednesday) to ask her about her plans for
>> the wetlands. If they can get her to state her plan, they are in a better
>> position to oppose it, rather than fighting rumors. And they will start
>> with a soft approach, aiming for a win-win.
>>
>> If you want more information, see my notes from the meeting, attached. If
>> you would like to examine more paperwork regarding the grants and
>> agreements establishing the improved, maintained wetlands, D.J. Allen,
>> Coordinator of Little Kanawha R.C. & D. is your woman. Contact her at BOTH
>> of these email addresses: dj.allen at lkrcd.com and
>> dnrallen at 220minternet.net.
>>
>> I have a list of contacts for the others who attended today’s meeting as
>> well. Most active is Kittie Clark, who seems to be heading up the team who
>> will draft the letter tomorrow.
>>
>>
>> —dawn (pleased that she remembered to attach the attachments)
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Green mailing list
>> Green at fuusm.org
>> http://fuusm.org/mailman/listinfo/green_fuusm.org
>>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://fuusm.org/pipermail/green_fuusm.org/attachments/20201111/4dd6329f/attachment.htm>