Westover Council hears pitch for community garden, renames senior center annex

Ben Conley, The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.
·2 min read

Jun. 7—WESTOVER — The city of Westover has done its fair share of growing over the years.

Now Shannon Mcnicholas wants to do some growing in Westover.

Vegetables, that is.

Mcnicholas appeared before Westover City Council Monday to pitch the idea of a community garden near the city's tennis /pickle ball courts, next to Lake Henry.

As an AmeriCorps volunteer, Mcnicholas said she's helped start community gardens across the country. When she settled in Morgantown to pursue a Master of Social Work at WVU, she noticed a need locally.

Travis Howard, a Westover resident who works with Desmone Architects, helped put together some initial plans.

"We looked around at quite a few different places in Morgantown and within Westover, specifically, for a site, " Howard said, adding, "We really got lucky with this plot of land because it's relatively flat, or West Virginia-flat, as I call it."

Mcnicholas said she would manage the garden, which, based on initial plans, would include eight garden beds and four raised ADA beds within a fenced-in area. The garden would be fed via a solar-powered rainwater collection system using the roof of the existing pavilion, as well as on-site compost bins.

Mcnicholas said the garden would provide an opportunity for Westover residents to grow their own farm-fresh vegetables while getting involved in a community effort.

The ask of the city is the property. Mcnicholas said she's exploring the creation of a nonprofit organization that could apply for grants, accept donations and accept conveyance of land from the city.

"We don't need any funding from the city of Westover. If you want to make a donation, that would be happily accepted. But if you don't have the funds or you want to see how the project kind of plays out, we can make it happen, " she said.

Also on Monday, council voted unanimously on first reading to name the Senior Center Annex built in 2014 after Donald Godfrey.

Mayor Dave Johnson, whose tenure comes to a close at the end of the month, said he wanted the building's addition to bear Godfrey's name before he leaves office.

Johnson said Godfrey was a driving force behind getting the extra space for Westover's seniors.