By Stephen Smoot
The lengthy process to obtain the former Sunset Ellis property may soon take a major step forward.
Last fall, the iconic Sunset Ellis Restaurant and Drive In Theater had to close after a fire tore through the establishment. As the families who operated the facilities and those who enjoyed family fun and great meals there for generations processed the loss, the Harrison County Commission saw an opportunity to place facilities to support both animal welfare and animal husbandry at the site just outside of Shinnston.
While almost all involved in community and government held a wish that drive in movies could continue at the historic site, the massive decades-old screen had fallen into disrepair. The County Commission found the price tag for a complete repair too high to undertake.
Last week, the Ellis property came up twice on the agenda of the Harrison County Commission.
Commissioner Patsy Trecost put on the regular meeting agenda an item concerning maintenance and upkeep of what the Commission officially refers to as the “Route 19 property” in most cases. He commented “we’re overloaded” with properties and asked about a fair price to complete work on that piece of land.
Harrison County Administrator Laura Pysz-Laulis stated that over the next two weeks significant work will get completed, notably the remaining part of the restaurant building.
Trecost stated “let’s get rid of . . . all of the dilapidated equipment” and start the “beautification process.”
Later in the meeting, Commissioners discussed an agenda item “authorizing the County Administrator to move forward with negotiations on Route 19 property. They rejected the notion that the issue required an executive session.
Pysz-Laulis explained that “Commissioners have prior given me authorization to negotiate on the Route 19 property.”
Trecost responded with a more decisive suggestion, stating “I’ll make the motion that you go ahead and make the offer and move the ball forward . . . based on the appraisal.”
The motion passed.
