Fairmont's Beltline area revitalization plans to be unveiled at city council
Jul. 10—FAIRMONT — Since last fall, residents of the city's Beltline Neighborhood have been engaged to find out what changes they would make to improve their part of the city.
It all began with a casual open house meeting last September led by Fairmont Planning Director Shae Strait who has been tasked with trying to improve the quality of life for residents during his tenure.
At this Tuesday's Fairmont City Council meeting, councilors and guests will get a chance to look at what the Somerset, Pennsylvania-based multi-disciplinary firm Stromberg/Garrigan and Associates Inc. have devised after months of talking with residents and collecting data about the area.
The Beltline Neighborhood runs from the Monongahela River to Fairmont Avenue and Third Street all the way to the West Fork River.
"They engaged the citizens of the neighborhood to collect data and come up with this plan of what they thought may be the best recommendations for improvements for economic, health and other outcomes for the citizens and businesses in the area," Strait said.
One of the improvements could be as simple as changing the flow of traffic, which would lessen the dangers posed by motor vehicle traffic emissions.
"The proposal is to make a number of changes that will primarily impact the health outcomes of the residents there," Strait said. "We're looking at trying to change Gaston and Virginia avenues to one-way streets. The intention of that is to reduce traffic that is using the neighborhood as a pass-through rather than traffic that is a benefit to the residents or businesses that are there."
Automobiles contribute to more than 50% of air pollution in urban areas.
"The design of communities and transportation systems impacts how often automobiles are used, how many automobile trips are taken, and how long those trips are," according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Stromberg/Garrigan has a list of more than 530 projects in more than 100 "geographies." The company even has a division in Pittsburgh dubbed the Brewery Innovation Center, which works with existing and startup breweries.
The Beltline Neighborhood fell victim to residential sprawl over the years and grew as a work-live neighborhood. Most of the residents who moved into Beltline did so seeking work at one of the nearby factories that once lined the river.
While the factories are gone, their footprints remain as an eyesore out of back windows and from the bleachers of East-West Stadium.
Some of the land has been redeveloped or reused by other companies such as Republic Services and Valley Distributing, but the property that has come to be known as "The Old Box Factory" is top of mind for many looking to improve the area.
The box factory has a troubled history. In 2017, the building's owner, Kirk Naternicola, sought to have the building and property rezoned, but was denied. Naternicola still owns the building and hasn't made public any future plans.
"We're looking at a number of sites and improvements that can be made, such as the expansion of the West Fork River Trail, new park space that relates to those trailheads and the indoor recreational facility, which is something that Marion County has wanted for a long time. We have in mind what sites might be best for all of that," Strait said.
Fairmont City Council is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Public Safety Building on Quincy Street.
Reach Eric Cravey at 304-367-2523.
