NITRO, W.Va. — Mayor Dave Casebolt is not surprised by Kanawha County Planning Commission’s decision to not recommend annexation of two miles of roads in Cross Lanes but said he still wants something to be done.
The planning commission making that decision of recommending the Kanawha County Commission to not approve the request from Nitro officials in recent weeks.
Casebolt told 580-WCHS there are still issues that need to be addressed in portions of Lakeview Drive and Goff Mountain Road, near the busy Nitro Marketplace.
“There are traffic problems, there’s a gentleman that’s allowed to stand on the corner and trash the corner and the county is not doing anything about it,” he said.
“They are not taking any steps to remedy the problem. So we are going to have to try. If they will not do anything then we will have to try and do something.”
The business area, in which around $250 million of business is done per year, is effected by the traffic issues according to Casebolt.
Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper told 580-WCHS the county is doing plenty of these roads and it’s not up to Nitro to police them.
“The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department and the West Virginia State Police do an excellent job. With all due respect, if someone is seriously hurt on this road or anywhere in this county, it’s the Kanawha County Ambulance Authority that takes care of people and saves lives,” Carper said.
Carper and the rest of the commission will have the last say on the annexation proposal when the commissioners consider the recommendation at its Dec. 5 meeting.
580-WCHS has previously reported that Cross Lanes residents in the area voiced concerns at the planning commission’s meeting. They believe annexation would be the first step in Nitro annexing the entire unincorporated community.
Casebolt said Nitro wants to control the traffic problems in the area and not get into the unincorporated community.
“Our police department could be out here to clear up accidents quicker. We would have to coordinate with the county and other authorities.”