The Hanover Shoe Factory in Marlinton opened in 1970 and closed in 1996, when the company moved production overseas. After the factory closed, the county purchased the land and building, which sat vacant for several years. In 2008, business partners John Fitzgerald and J.P. Duncan leased the property from the county, cleaned up the site, and opened a flea market.
The county began using the Hanover Building for county purposes in January 2010, when Duncan and Fitzgerald received a contract to operate the county animal shelter in a portion of the building. Since then, the Pocahontas County Commission installed a new heating system, renovated offices, provided space for the Day Report Center Center and leased space to the West Virginia Division of Forestry.
The former shoe factory has become a bustling county office building, and commissioners have expressed interest in expanding county use of the spacious facility. But the 45-year old roof is leaking in several places.
During its meeting on February 4, the commission opened three bids for repair or replacement of the Hanover Building roof. FoamCoat, of Davisville, submitted a bid of $74,715 for a foam-based roof coating with a 10-year warranty. Reliable Roofing, of Elkins, offered to repair substrate and install a metal roof for $89,682, with a 15-year warranty. Finally, West Roofing Systems, of LaGrange, Ohio, offered to make the repairs for $99,750.
The commission awarded the bid to Reliable Roofing. Commissoner William Beard said the company’s 15-year warranty influenced his decision to support Reliable. The other two commissioners agreed and the vote was 3-0 to award the bid to Reliable.
Day Report Center Director Tammie Alderman gave a monthly update to the commission. Alderman reported that 36 participants currently are enrolled in the program. The director said that four clients had completed the program successfully, and one was terminated due to a violation and incarcerated. Using a conservative estimate process, Alderman estimated that the Day Report system had saved the county more than $46,000 in January, compared to the cost of incarceration.
Beard, who sits on the Greenbrier Valley Economic Development Corporation (GVEDC) board, informed his fellow commissioners that the local Division of Highways is considering locating its garage and offices to the Edray Industrial site, owned by the GVEDC. Commissioner David Fleming said discussions on the move had been taking place for two years, and asked if the DOH is actually interested in relocating. Beard said state offices usually take a lot of time to make decisions, and stated he would continue to follow the issue.
Pocahontas Memorial Hospital (PMH) CEO Barbara Lay asked the commission’s opinion on a hospital purchase of a three-acre lot, adjacent to the hospital, for $35,000. Lay said the hospital has no immediate use for the land, but that she wanted to query the commissioners’ opinions on the purchase. Fleming recommended that Lay obtain a decision from the PMH Board of Directors whether it wishes to purchase the land, and Lay agreed to do so.
In other business, the county commission:
– Approved a lease for office space in the Hanover Building with the West Virginia Division of Forestry for $250 per month.
– Approved a resolution in support of two grant requests for the Opera House Foundation.
– Heard an update on water resource task force progress from Lynmarie Knight.
The next regular county commission meeting is scheduled for February