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

[Vic Elam]

Dawn,

Thank you for sharing.

Vic

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)
>
>
>
>
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