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Officials discuss building’s future

ELKINS — The Elkins City Council Municipal Property Committee discussed a city building in need of repairs during a Monday meeting.

Discussion centered on the Carriage House, which is part of the Darden House, a structure owned by the city of Elkins and which is located next door to City Hall.

“I put this on the agenda because it’s an issue that our (Second Ward) Councilman (Charlie) Friddle brought up at the last council meeting,” Marilynn Cuonzo, Fourth Ward councilwoman, said. “You either fix it or you end up losing the building, so I brought it up for discussion because it does need to be repaired. … It is a historical building and has a lot of use for the people who use it.”

Bob Pingley, city operations manager, said he believes the building may need to be torn down.

“The whole end of the building is in pretty poor shape,” he said. “So, it’s going to have to be repaired or torn down, one of the two. I haven’t really been inside to look and see what the interior condition is, but the north face is pretty rough.”

Friddle said he believed Pingley was “being kind” to say the building was in “poor shape,” adding the city should not be asking others to clean up their properties if the city cannot do the same.

“My point during council was this, just to give a little background. The city is undergoing a discussion now about dilapidated properties and it’s pretty embarrassing for the city to have a dilapidated property when we’re asking everybody else to clean up their properties,” Friddle said.

Priscilla Gay, a member of the Elkins Historic Landmarks Commission, said the group would meet late Monday evening, and Cuonzo said she planned to attend and would bring a report back to the municipal property commission at their next meeting.

Also during Monday’s meeting:

• The committee heard a report regarding work needed to be completed at the Kump Education Center.

Heather Biola, executive director of the Kump Center, said work necessary for the heating system at the center is a “big job to take on.”

“We have been working for quite a while to find contractors willing to take on a historic house the size of the Kump Center,” she said.

Biola reported to the board that a $28,500 bid from David Davis Heating and Cooling has been received for the project, noting funding for the work would be paid by the Kump Foundation.

• The city’s tree board has reported they are interested in having a vehicle that could be used for their work.

“We’re always begging to borrow a truck to move mulch and our equipment around the city to be pruning and all kinds of other little jobs,” Cuonzo said. “We just never have anything without having to borrow a truck, so every once in a while the city gets rid of property, so this seems like a good way that we could move something over and make use of it.”

Pingley said he is working to find a vehicle, already owned by the city, that can be designated for use by the tree board.

Treasurer Tracy Judy emphasized a city employee would be required to drive the vehicle due to insurance purposes, noting tree board members are not officially city employees.

Cuonzo, a city employee, said there would be no issue with this, adding she will operate the vehicle when work is taking place.

Cuonzo noted the tree board will soon be establishing an office within City Hall in hopes of creating more of a presence in the community.

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