Granville mayor: DEP tackling permanent fix on Emmett Drive
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GRANVILLE - On Oct. 13, Mayor Patricia Lewis told town council that GeoStabilization International (GSI) was ready to start working on a temporary fix for Emmett Drive.
Ten days later, that work was complete and traffic was moving from University Town Centre to Monongahela Boulevard.
On Tuesday, Lewis told council the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection is ready to look at a more permanent fix for the short cut.
"I had an encouraging conversation with a representative from the DEP Friday," Lewis said at Tuesday's regular Granville Town Council meeting. "They are actually moving forward with our representative from Potesta to come up with an acceptable scope of work."
The mayor reminded council that DEP projects take time and said she doesn't have a timeline but doesn't expect any work to begin until later in 2027.
A rock slide forced the closure of Emmett Drive Feb. 27. Granville worked with representatives from West Virginia DEP's Office of Abandoned Mine Land, Potesta and Associates and GSI to come up with a solution. It was determined a temporary fix could get the road reopened while a permanent one could take up to two years.
Granville was responsible for the cost of the temporary work and set aside $50,000 to $85,000 for it. The DEP is expected to help with funding of a permanent solution as the town center was built on former coal mine property.
Shop with a First Responder
Council voted Tuesday to donate $2,500 to its annual Shop with a First Responder program, in which it is joined by Star City, Westover and several first-responder agencies.
Latina Mayle, Granville executive administrator, said the town has made that same donation each of the past three years. Council agreed to look at total donations at its next meeting and consider donating more if necessary.
Mayle previously said participating schools — Mylan Park, Skyview and Suncrest elementaries - would provide the town with a list of students who will shop with law enforcement officers from Granville, Westover, Star City, West Virginia University and West Virginia Department of Natural Resources, firefighters from Granville and first responders from Mon EMS.
Last year, 160 students each received $100 to go shopping. Mayle said the hope is to raise $20,000, and to give each child a little more money this year. She said she is pleased with the donations the program has received so far.
Donations will be accepted into December and can be sent to Granville or dropped off at Town Hall, 1245 Main St. Checks should be made payable to Granville Volunteer Fire Department with SWAFR in the memo line and mailed to Town of Granville, Attn: Latina Mayle, P.O. Box 119, Granville, WV 26534.
For more information, Mayle can be contacted at Town Hall at 304-599-5080.
The next Granville Town Council meeting will be 7 p.m. Nov. 24 at Town Hall.