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Upshur County Commission gives property owners 60 days to comply with unsafe-structures order
Summary
At a July 22 special meeting in Buckhannon, the Upshur County Commission held a hearing on Safe Structures and Sites Case No. 101223-01 and voted to give the property owners 60 days to bring the parcel into compliance; enforcement staff will inspect and photograph the site after the deadline.
At a special meeting July 22 in Buckhannon, the Upshur County Commission voted to give the owners of a parcel in the Washington Tax District 60 days to bring the property into compliance with the Upshur County Safe Structures and Sites Ordinance.
Commission President Samuel R. Nolte called the hearing to order at 9:30 a.m. and confirmed a quorum. Assistant County Administrator Cindy M. Hughes provided the Commission with a timeline of enforcement activity leading up to the hearing on Safe Structures and Sites Case No. 101223-01 (Tax Map 6G, Parcel 10).
Safe Structures and Sites Enforcement Officer Gregory Harris told the Commission there has been "some improvement" to the property compared with photographs taken in November 2023. The property owner, Betty Rowland, said she works many hours and that her schedule limits her ability to perform cleanup. Robert Rowland, owner of the adjacent property, said a health issue prevents him from physically helping with the cleanup.
Commissioners Samuel R. Nolte and Kristie G. Tenney reviewed photographs of the parcel and outlined the tasks needed to meet the county ordinance's requirements. Hughes provided information about the REAP Program as a potential source of assistance. Nolte encouraged the owners to "finish strong."
On a motion by Commissioner Kristie G. Tenney, seconded by President Samuel R. Nolte, the Commission granted the owners 60 days to bring the property into compliance. Enforcement Officer Gregory Harris will revisit the site after the 60-day period and obtain photographs to document whether the required work has been completed. The hearing ended at 10:27 a.m.; the Commission then reviewed project updates and administrative business and adjourned at 11:15 a.m.
The county's action provides a deadline and a follow-up inspection but does not detail the specific remediation steps in the record beyond noting that photographs and a list of required tasks were reviewed. The transcript indicates staff directed the owners to pursue available assistance from the REAP Program; program specifics were not provided in the meeting record.
