Measures sought for creek flooding, water line breaks
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FOLLANSBEE -- State and local officials are working to address recurring flooding in one area of Follansbee and broken water lines believed to be caused by mine subsidence in an another area served by the city.
City Manager John DeStefano said he and others learned structures at 531 and 539 Allegheny Street have been approved for demolition through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s buyout program.
The program provides funds for the demolition of homes in areas of recurring flooding with the stipulation no new permanent structures are built in their place.
One of the two structures is adjacent to Allegheny Creek, with a driveway over it, while the other sits over a culvert through which the stream flows, proceeding under state Route 2 to the Ohio River.
A buildup in the creek of debris and trash, combined with heavy rainfall, have resulted in extensive flooding from the creek as recently as 2016.
DeStefano said after meeting with representatives of the state Office of Abandoned Mine Lands, he and other city officials learned the city may apply for a grant to address the water line problem.
DeStefano said Water Superintendent Jack McIntosh and Paul Ghosh, a Charleston engineer involved with many past projects for the city, have been meeting to determine a solution for the problem and prepare a grant application due July 31.
DeStefano said 12 to 18 homes in the Walker Manor area off St. John’s Road are being served by a temporary water line since multiple line breaks left them without service for days earlier this month.
The breaks occurred on Cedar Lane and Halls Road and at the Shady Glen Mobile Home Park.
A 40-foot-deep sinkhole in the driveway of a home on Delta Lane led city officials to suspect the breaks were caused by shifting earth in the area, which had been stripmined years ago.
The area is part of the former Hooverson Heights Public Service District, which the city took over in the early 1980s.
The issues were among those discussed at Follansbee Council’s regular meeting Monday.
Council also approved the final reading required for the $195,000 purchase of the former Jo-Jon’s property near state Route 2 and Mahan Lane.
Plans call for the building to be razed to encourage commercial development of the 0.8 acre lot.
Also OK’ed by council was the final reading for a change to the meeting time for council’s second monthly meeting. With that, council will meet at 6 p.m. on the first and second Mondays of each month.
(Scott can be contacted at wscott@heraldstaronline.com.)