New Woodburn Community School

CRAZY CIRCLE TO WOODBURN AREA FROM THE EASTWOOD SITE ON THE MILEGROUND

According to Superintendent Frank Devono, on WAJR yesterday, you would have to drive, your children would have to ride, through the catchments of two other elementary schools to return to the Woodburn area, even though the Eastwood Mileground site sits in (barely, if that) the Woodburn catchment and is only a half mile from Woodburn. You would have to drive and your children would have to ride several miles in a big roundabout loop through North Elementary’s catchment. How is that for negligent? Why don’t they just rename the school North II, the more negligent model. That crazy circle home for Woodburn area children was the best the Superintendent could offer on the radio yesterday. Mon Schools has not asked for a traffic light to be put on WV 705, thus, only right turns onto WV 705 is Mon Schools’ operative thinking.

[An official with WV Division of Highways is on record remarking that, in regard to potential school and gas station siting, “it’s safe to say that no one from the District or DT is going to be accepting of the idea to install a signal anywhere near this intersection” which would be needed on WV 705 to allow school traffic to make a left turn to be able to return to Woodburn area. (see DOH correspondence below)]

Of course, nothing is finalized yet, so maybe your children will have to fly to the moon each day, too, before they can return to the Woodburn area. When it comes to Mon Schools and the Eastwood Mileground site, nothing should surprise anyone.

Hey Dave.  We wanted to give you a quick heads up regarding some upcoming issues in Mon Co.  Last week, Mr. Terry Astleford, a real estate developer representing Sheetz stopped in to the District to go over a few sites they are looking at in Mon Co.  One location in particular, at the NE corner of WV 705 and the Mileground (US 119) presents numerous concerns.  In addition to the Sheetz, apparently a new Elementary School is also being considered further back on the same corner.

As you know, getting traffic into and out of Morgantown is a never ending struggle and keeping traffic moving at this intersection is critical.  Ultimately, we would like to have 2 lanes continuous to I-68 and a few different alternatives, I understand, are being considered to accomplish this.  At least one of these involves adding a lane to the Mileground.

I don’t see how we could allow left turns onto either side of this corner without a signal.  And its safe to say that no one from the District or DT is going to be accepting of the idea to install a signal anywhere near this intersection. Perhaps the school would propose to construct an entrance a good distance away from the corner itself on WV 705, but I don’t know.  Mr. Astleford was representing the interests of Sheetz primarily so of course he is concerned with the corner itself.

Anyway, you may already be aware of discussions regarding the school, but as of yet, we haven’t seen anything official at the District.  Since we assume its still very early in the planning stages, we just wanted to let you know of our concerns so you could have them in mind.

Thanks.

Mike

Michael Davis

WV Division of Highways

District Four

(304) 842-1597

David E. Cramer, PE

WV Department of Transportation

Commissioner’s Office of Economic Development

1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East

Building 5, Room 129

Charleston, West Virginia  25305

304.558.9211

304.558.1004 (fax)

David.E.Cramer@wv.gov

FOIA release (below) from WVU showing Sheetz’ early interest in a dual school/gas station drive, at the corner WVU parcel (above). After WV DOH planned to put the 705/119 intersection on that corner WVU parcel, Sheetz shifted its interest and plans to the armory site. However, this still leaves a dual access possible from the intersection: school/gas station access,  ”a combined entrance” (see below). Why would Sheetz not want that direct access from the intersection to an armory gas station? In fact Sheetz would need such access to allow traffic from both sides of the impending divided highway to reach a gas station at the armory site.

See, below, part of our Freedom of Information Act request of the WV Division of Highways.

This FOIA release shows Sheetz’ most recent interest in the armory site bordering the school grounds very close to the would-be school building:

From: ”Cramer, David E” <David.E.Cramer@wv.gov>
To: ”Davis, Michael R” <Michael.R.Davis@wv.gov>
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:41:22 -0400
Subject: RE: Another Sheetz Request