Shinnston has forced municipal, county, and state
authorities to find a solution together.
By Stephen Smoot
Within two weeks of a former car dealership building collapsing onto Hood Avenue, also US Route 19, city, county, and state officials have lined up to expedite a short-term solution to reopen the major artery to traffic.
Late in June a multistory structure, identified by Cameron Nuzum of the Shinnston Volunteer Fire Department to WBOY as the Royal Chrysler building, collapsed on Hood Avenue just within Shinnston city limits. The collapse has also destabilized land under the home of a nearby resident, which complicates mitigation and clean up.
Legally, since it happened within the boundaries of the City of Shinnston, the municipality has primary responsibility to address it right after the property owner.
Practically, no news about the intentions of the property owner have emerged and addressing the problem is beyond the capability of the City to do on its own quickly. State and County officials, therefore, have stepped in to provide support and assistance.
In last week’s Harrison County Commission meeting, Commissioners approved a memorandum of understanding between Harrison County, the City of Shinnston, and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection to clean up the debris so that the highway could reopen, while still protecting the residence affected by the collapse.
Harrison County Administrator Laura Pysz-Laulis described the item as “an agreement with Shinnston so we can go ahead and tear down the building at 720 Hood Avenue. It has currently closed down a major road that Shinnston desperately needs.”
She added that all parties are “doing anything we can to get this down” and that “we are all concerned about the woman who lives next door to it.”
Susan Thomas, Harrison County Commision President, added that “I’m also concerned about the neighborhood where I saw a tractor trailer to get down a street about this wide.” Thomas held her hands a couple of feet apart for effect.
Pysz-Laulis continued, informing Commissioners that she had conferred with the West Virginia Department of Highways about options that could at least partially open the road to traffic. She related to the Commision that they responded thus, “they said once we have the building demolished and it’s in a pile, that we can leave it in a pile for a little bit until we figure out what we can do for the stabilization of the banks.”
She went on to say “once we have that down, they will open up both lanes.” After stabilization, the DOH can briefly reclose the highway at the point when parties are prepared to do the remainder of the work.
Thomas replied that “I’d like to see this done as quickly as possible, but we have to protect that woman’s house.”
Pysz-Laulis assured Commissioners that “they are working very hard to try and get us a game plan,” but that all involved understand that “the main concern is with that house and that lady.” She added “they know it’s an emergency.”
The WV DEP stepped in due to the special circumstances and help will come from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds held by the County. As of December 31, 2024, all government entities had to have allocated their ARPA funds. They need not have spent them, but must have put them in categories for future use. The City of Shinnston had not allocated ARPA funds for the purpose of dilapidated building demolition, but Harrison County had.
Commissioners next approved 720 Hood Avenue, plus two other properties, for emergency demolition. The Hood Avenue property will serve as the first priority on the list. A notice of violation was also sent to Mr. John Matheny for 720 Hood Avenue being “unfit for human occupancy.”
