Morgantown council approves amendments to vacant-structure code after public concerns about due process

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Morgantown City Council voted 6-0 on Oct. 21 to approve changes to article 17-18 of the city code, known as the Vacant Structure Code, clarifying how property owners may appeal or seek exemptions and changing some hearing procedures.

The amendment, approved on second reading, requires a staff report on all exemption and appeal requests, removes a prior automatic step that required scheduling a council hearing at the next meeting, and lets applicants and city counsel review the staff report and decide whether an in-person quasi‑adjudicatory hearing should be held.

Councilor discussion and public comment underscored concern about property owners’ constitutional due‑process rights and about transparency for neighbors. At the public hearing, resident Martie Schamberger said the draft ordinance contained “a lack of due process” and asked the city to preserve public input opportunities. Annie Cronin…