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WEIRTON -- Work continues to prepare property along Park Drive for a long-proposed development of commercial, industrial and residential operations, with members of the Weirton Sanitary Board, Thursday, discussing their portion of the project.
Utilities Director Butch Mastrantoni explained sanitary staff has reviewed the latest plans for the project, to be located on several dozen acres, which currently are vacant, in the area of the Three Springs Business Park.
"There will soon be a subdivision of the properties," Mastrantoni said, noting a step required in the process to ready the site for development and construction.
According to Assistant Director Rick Ohalek, the sanitary portion of the project will include 1,000 feet of 8-inch PVC sewer pipeline, and the installation of nine new manholes.
Once the Park Drive project is completed, he explained, the Sanitary Board will take over responsibility for that aspect of the development, maintaining the lines and other components of the system.
Mastrantoni further said sanitary staff will inspect the lines as they are installed.
Mayor Harold Miller, who chairs the Sanitary Board, said he's happy to see the development moving forward, noting the city has been working with the Business Development Corp. of the Northern Panhandle and Park Drive Development on the planning.
"It'll be a tremendous facility," Miller said. "It's taken longer than we'd like."
In December, city officials hosted representatives of Park Drive Development, the BDC, McKinley and Associates and Terradon Engineering to establish a timeline for the initial zoning and infrastructure of the project.
The Park Drive Development is focusing on 72 acres, with a main entrance on Park Drive across from the Wal-Mart Supercenter. Miller noted the city also is working with the West Virginia Division of Highways on the streetscape aspects of the project, which will include new sidewalks and roadways.
The first phase would create six subdivided parcels out of the front acreage, to include four retail buildings, with discussions of residential opportunities on the upper floors.
Later phases could include office spaces and light industrial manufacturing operations, according to officials.
(Howell can be contacted at chowell@weirtondailytimes.com, and followed via Twitter @CHowellWDT)