Streetlights, town square before Follansbee Council
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FOLLANSBEE -- Various aspects of Main Street were a recurring subject at Monday's council meeting.
Mayor David Velegol Jr. announced public comment will be accepted on the proposed creation of a town square using the Ray Stoaks Plaza while updating council on plans to replace street lights and traffic signals along the street.
Velegol said comment will be accepted on two possible designs for the square to be displayed at 6 p.m. Aug. 16 at the Follansbee Community House.
About two years ago, the mayor proposed using Penn Street, which runs parallel to the Follansbee City Building and its parking lot, and the adjacent Ray Stoaks Plaza to create a public square where people could gather for lunch and relaxation.
Plans called for the street to be closed between Main Street and Virginia Avenue to create space for picnic tables, a fountain and greenery.
Velegol said the development would beautify part of Main Street and help to attract new businesses.
There's been some opposition to the idea of closing the one-way link between Main and Virginia, so Velegol revealed a second design has been created by CT Consultants of Washington, Pa.
It involves creating a single-lane cobblestone path through the plaza that would serve as a five-minute unloading zone, he said.
Velegol said the square would retain many of the same features, including an arched entrance through which cars could pass.
The Charles and Thelma Pugliese Foundation has awarded a $45,000 grant for the square, and the city has retained a grant writer to seek funds for it and other projects.
To demonstrate his vision of the square's future use, Velegol has arranged for various food trucks and musical performers to appear on the street from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. each Wednesday.
This month's food vendors include Double Ds BBQ on Wednesday, Three Bridges restaurant on Aug. 11, Martoni's Fire Baked Pizza on Aug. 18, and Tacos Juarez on Aug. 25.
In other business, Velegol said the city will pursue upgrades to the streetlights on Main in phases.
He said past efforts to address many non-functioning lights there uncovered that underground conduit to them needed to be replaced.
While there had been plans to replace sidewalks above the wiring in the process, Velegol said that proved too costly and risked damaging underground utility lines. He said instead, a trench will be created along the curbs to reach the conduit.
When Velegol state the first phase will involve Allegheny Street to Ohio Street, resident and business owner Vito "Skip" Cutrone said the first priority should be the 600 block, which is without lighting except for that at the adjacent Mahan Playground.
"It's a safety issue. It's black (at night) down there," said Cutrone.
Velegol said many areas of the street are dark, and the plan is to address all of them in phases.
He noted there are plans to apply WiFi equipment to the street lights to boost Internet reception and said the city may use federal pandemic relief funds for the effort since broadband expansion has been identified as an eligible expense.
The city is expected to receive $1.1 million through the funds.
Velegol also spoke of plans by the West Virginia Division of Highways to replace traffic signals along Main Street, which is part of state Route 2, with ones that would be triggered by the motion of approaching vehicles.
The project was said to be in the study phase at this time.
In related business, Velegol reported on the veterans monument outside American Legion Post 45 at the corner of Main and Raymond streets. He said its completion has been delayed by the illness of a volunteer laborer involved but work will resume soon to make the Fallen Soldier Battlefield Cross a permanent part of the monument and to add concrete, artificial turf and lighting to its base.
Councilman at large John Casinelli, who chairs the city's building enforcement committee, noted a dilapidated structure in the 200 block of Main has been razed and crews have begun clearing the lot for the creation of a city parking lot.
The lot is intended for use by residents at the south end, some of whom have resorted to parking on sidewalks to prevent passing vehicles from striking theirs.