ELKINS — The City of Elkins submitted applications to annex three “donut hole” properties to the Randolph County Commission on Thursday.

The three properties, which were approved for annexation by Elkins City Council in December, are the “old Texaco Station” on Harrison Avenue, including a small part of the street itself as well; the former Reibord Plant on Wilson Lane; and the Tygart Valley Apartments, also on Wilson Lane.

The city has been working toward annexing these properties, which are surrounded by the City of Elkins on all sides, since 2019.

“The properties that are in those ‘donut holes’ are totally surrounded by other city properties,” explained Second Ward Councilman Charlie Friddle. “We didn’t feel that it was fair for those people to have the benefits of being in the city but not have any responsibility with helping to maintain the city. They were contributing nothing in terms of funding to the city, yet they were enjoying all the benefits.”

Examples of these inherent benefits include street cleaning and snow removal. Officials said it’s unrealistic for these services to halt in the middle of the street to skip a small section before continuing, so the service is provided regardless.

Rob Chenoweth, First Ward councilman and chair for council’s Economic Growth and Development Committee, has been instrumental in the annexation effort.

“All of the properties that were annexed in are businesses so with that, it was more of an equity consideration to bring them in and get them on equal footing with other businesses in Elkins,” Chenoweth said.

Chenoweth noted the annexation applications will explain to the Randolph County Commission that the City of Elkins will provide services such as water, sewage and police protection to these properties once they enter city limits.

“If you’re bringing (these properties) in, you have to be able to provide for them and do the things that, as a city, you need to do,” said Chenoweth. “The clerk and the city attorney worked hand in hand to go over the code and submit this application, making sure that all questions and considerations were covered.”

City Attorney Gerri Roberts noted, “If (these properties) are surrounded (by Elkins), what’s a good reason for not being part of the municipality?”

Along with the applications, the City of Elkins submitted a request to the county commission to provide a presentation in tandem with the discussion of the applications.

“They’re required by law to hold a public hearing and typically, what commissions will do is schedule that hearing just prior to their meeting so they can have the hearing and then, during their meeting, consider the application,” explained Elkins City Clerk Jessica Sutton.

“In the cover letter that was included with the application, we requested that we be given permission to come and present,” she continued. “Whether they’ll grant that or not, we don’t know until they have the opportunity to look at it and respond.”