Elkins planning commission unveils draft 10-year comprehensive plan, seeks public comment

Elkins ' The Elkins Planning Commission, with consultants from West Virginia University's Land Use Clinic, presented a draft update to the city's comprehensive plan at a public meeting this evening, laying out prioritized action items on public safety, housing, infrastructure, economic development and technology and asking residents to submit comments by May 8.

Christy Demuth of West Virginia University's Land Use Clinic said the document is a policy guide rather than a mandate: "Nothing in this plan will mandate the city do anything," she told the meeting. The update, required every 10 years under the West Virginia Code, builds on the city's 2015 plan using 15 public planning-commission meetings, a 166-response online survey and targeted stakeholder interviews to identify local priorities.

Why it matters: Demuth and the planning commission said the draft is designed to help the city target limited staff time and grant funding by listing near-term, mid-term and long-term priorities. The plan's action matrix identifies responsible parties and potential funding partners for each item so projects can be matched to grant opportunities.

Key priorities outlined

- Public safety: Presenters said residents identified drug activity, homelessness and limited access to mental-health and addiction services as top safety concerns. Recommended actions include coordinated responses among the Elkins Police Department, Randolph County Sheriff's Office, EMS and local fire departments; a feasibility study for a strategically placed public-safety substation near Beverly Pike; repairs and equipment upgrades at the fire station; and continuing a regional task force on addiction, homelessness and mental health that could pursue West Virginia 1st Foundation settlement funds.

- Housing: The draft notes that about 60% of Elkins' housing is classified as single-family, with 63% of occupied units owner-occupied and 37% rentals. The plan highlights a shortage of affordable, quality housing, scattered vacant properties and dilapidated structures. Action steps include demolition funding (Demuth noted a $300,000 West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection award to remove 11 flooded properties and identify additional structures for demolition), incentives for infill and conversion of underused commercial buildings, and potential loan or matching programs to help homeowners with maintenance.

- Infrastructure and transportation: The update flags combined sewer/stormwater systems that can overload during heavy rain and discharge into the Tygart River, silt accumulation that reduces raw-water storage, a shortage of certified water/sewer operators, unsafe intersections (Randolph Avenue to Graham Street was singled out), gaps in sidewalks and bicycle networks, and parking and transit limitations. The plan recommends dredging where appropriate, pursuing state partnerships, and advancing the city's streetscape master plan (striping, sidewalk repair, lighting and intersection improvements among early-phase projects).

- Economic development and land use: The consultants noted Elkins' assets (county seat, federal court, medical services, expanding industrial park and rail yard) and flagged a lack of a dedicated downtown promotion entity. The draft identifies four potential annexation areas and suggests limited overlay zoning to allow small-scale neighborhood businesses while protecting residential character. The planning commission and Demuth said the plan should help leverage a recently created tax-increment financing (TIF) district alongside federal grants to advance the streetscape work.

- Technology: The plan adds a technology chapter aimed at realistic, small-scale "smart city" improvements for Elkins, such as coordinated traffic lights, road-condition monitoring, better pedestrian protections, improved internet services and cloud-based data storage to support city operations.

Public engagement and next steps

Demuth said the draft includes a prioritized action matrix (priority level, timeframe and responsible party) and stressed that the city lacks capacity to implement every recommendation immediately. The public comment period for the draft was announced as open through Friday, May 8; the Planning Commission will meet Thursday, May 14 to review public input and make final revisions before holding an official public hearing and the 30-day notice period required by state law prior to the commission's presentation of the final draft to the city council for adoption.

What residents asked

During the question-and-answer period, residents pressed for comparative data on ownership vs. rentals (Demuth said communities with colleges often show higher rental rates), asked whether density correlates with stormwater problems (Demuth said the sewer department raised stormwater concerns and may have data to examine that correlation), and recounted local flood experiences and emergency-response gaps that underscore the plan's emphasis on infrastructure and resilience.

The Planning Commission president, Phil Phillips Golsan, closed the meeting by encouraging continued public participation at planning commission and city council meetings and reminding attendees of regular planning-commission meeting times and online materials.

Next procedural step: the Planning Commission's May 14 meeting to review public comments; a later public hearing and council consideration will follow as required by the West Virginia Code.