By Stephen Smoot
The long and winding road toward a new County animal control center saw progress upon it during last week’s Harrison County Commission meeting.
Commissioner Patsy Trecost has continued to press fellow commissioners to agree to a site and start work. Originally, the project was slated for County owned property near the airport on West Virginia Route 279. When the Sunset Ellis restaurant and theater went out of business after a fire, the Harrison County Commission purchased the property with plans to construct an animal control center and a youth livestock show barn.
Along the way, Commissioners also agreed to support, at least temporarily, the continuance of the flea market that had operated there.
The Ellis property contains areas of landscape that the Army Corps of Engineers must evaluate to determine if wet land there represents temporary standing or permanently flowing water. In the past week, personnel have been examining the portion of the property in question with a report coming later. During the discussion, Commissioner David Hinkle said “that’s two to three months out.”
With that a concern, Commissioners briefly discussed an alternative site on Meadowbrook Road, but it too would require testing for suitability.
Commissioner Trecost requested that selection of the site and approval of the start of the project be voted on in that meeting. He stated that if the facility had any chance to open in 2027, the project must start very soon.
“People are getting passionate about it. People are excited about it,” he stated. Commissioner Trecost has repeatedly shared the frustration of the personnel at the current facility. One problem he repeatedly has cited is a creek that makes access inconvenient at times, saying “it’s close to a creek that cannot be crossed.” He later expressed in frustration that “all Commissioners want this to move forward” but that each time an issue comes up, the desire to discuss pushes the project another two weeks down the road.
“Do we want to start it now” or “back this up another year . . . years are passing,” stated Commissioner Trecost.
County Administrator Laura Pysz-Laulis passed out draft proposals of different places in which Civil and Environmental Consultants, or CEC, recommended could be graded and prepared for construction. Commissioners examined the proposals as they debated and discussed.
Commissioner Trecost has long favored placing the animal control center near the frontage of the property, close to where the restaurant and theater operated. He cited that utility hookups are already present, adding that concerns about the cost of bringing in needed utilities had proven substantial in the past.
“I don’t think the drive in parking lot is the best spot,” suggested Commission President Susan Thomas. “I’d hate to see them lose” the flea market, she stated.
“We didn’t buy that for that intention,” Commissioner Trecost said back. “I understand what you’re saying and I agree,” he added, but said the animal control center should be a priority and the flea market could operate elsewhere on the property. “Nobody ever said ‘flea market’ when we bought this,” he then said, but added that “we can have everything we want” on site.
Regardless, the flea market will operate in the same spot in 2026 since the project remains in the planning stage.
Commissioners examined the draft proposals and discussed the different options of number of graded “pads” and how much would be spent to move dirt on each spot. Commissioner Hinkle reminded all that the estimates on dirt removal do not include the cost of utilities or other necessary costs.
Commissioner Hinkle suggested that CEC be asked to provide information on the costs and needs of nudging pads to make more space, yet also put the center in a position to take advantage of current utility hook ups. Commissioner Trecost was amenable to the suggestion.
Both Commissioners made separate motions. Discussion fused ideas together.
The motion from Commission President Thomas was to request from CEC information on the slight adjustment to one of the pads “to get a few more acres” with the plan “to build the animal control shelter . . . sooner rather than later.”
The motion passed unanimously.
