Affordable Housing Projects Multiply
Plus, new electric transmission lines proposed, and an update on a data center panel discussion
Construction is underway on about 40 homes in Thomas that will be priced under $300,000 each, with some costing less than $200,000, according to the developer, Ed Fulton.
The project is aimed helping local people find housing they can afford on tight budgets, Fulton said. Attorneys are drafting language to include in sales agreements designed to keep investors from buying the properties for quick resale or turning them into short-term rental units, Fulton said.
“The last thing I want people to do is flip those properties or turn them into Airbnbs,” he said.
Those purchase agreements will specify that buyers must live in Tucker, Grant, Randolph, Mineral, or Preston Counties, or be employed in the area, Fulton said. Buyers will be prohibited from selling the homes within five years, with exceptions allowed for hardship circumstances.
The single-story homes typically will have three bedrooms and two bathrooms, with a total of 1,100 to 1,700 square feet. Most lots will be approximately 60 feet by 120 feet. The development is on Quail Ridge Road, across from Davis-Thomas Elementary/Middle School.
Fulton envisions a community with a diverse cross-section of people from the local community, with many owning their first homes.
“I want a coal miner to live next to a guy who works at the state park,” Fulton said.
He added that two of his married children with families have purchased homes in the development. Most of the homes will be for sale, although some might be rental units, Fulton said.
The homes are being built off-site by housing construction companies and then trucked to Thomas for final installation and assembly. Fulton said these “manufactured” or “modular” homes are the only way to bring to market a large number of homes that local workers can afford.
“It’s the only way to solve the housing crisis,” he said. “I can’t afford to have my guys stick-build these houses and sell at the price point we want.”
Fulton bristled at complaints that he’s developing a “trailer park,” although he quickly added that trailer parks and the people who live in them shouldn’t be disparaged. “It’s not a trailer park, but a lot of good people live in trailers,” he said.
Fulton said he purchased the 12-acre lot for the development from Western Pocahontas Properties, which is providing assistance on the project, and he’s planning to purchase an additional 17 acres to build more workforce housing.
Fulton said First United Bank and Trust and the HomeOwnership Center, a nonprofit based in Elkins, are also assisting the housing development and potential homebuyers.
Soaring housing prices are forcing young adults to move away looking for work, and that outflow is changing the culture of the area, Fulton said. Boosting the supply of affordable housing is the key to halting that trend, he said.
Thomas Mayor Jody Flanagan praised the affordable housing plans. “I hope it brings people here that need a job and can live here and actually work here,” Flanagan said. “I hope it gives local people a chance for an affordable house.”
Other housing projects
The Quail Ridge project is one of several local affordable housing projects in various stages of development.
Woodlands Development & Lending, an Elkins nonprofit that assists with housing and small business support, recently broke ground on the “Five Rivers Building” in downtown Parsons.
The 7,950 square foot, three-story development will offer commercial space on the ground floor and a total of eight units of affordable housing on the second and third floors, said Woodlands Project Manager Bryce Koukopoulos.
The building is expected to open in the fall of 2027.
Another 20 units of affordable housing are under construction about a mile west of downtown Thomas. The nonprofit behind that development, Blackwater Ridge, also plans to build at least eight townhouses in Davis, on Rapp Drive near Corridor H.
Another Woodlands affordable housing project on Spruce Street in Thomas, known as the TAProom, is a year behind schedule, with construction expected to start this summer.
Mat Cloak contributed to this story.
More News
New Electric Transmission Lines Likely to Cross Tucker County
Proposed new electric transmission lines spanning 260 miles from Putnam County, W.Va., to Frederick County, Md., appear likely to cross Tucker County.
The project is being developed by the Valley Link Transmission Company, which will hold a series of open house events in the area about the proposal, including one from 4 to 7:30 p.m. July 8 at Tucker County High School.
Click here for a full list of public hearings.
“The final route for the project has not yet been selected and will be based on community input, extensive surveys and thorough study of environmental, cultural and historic resources,” the company stated in a press release.
Valley Link Transmission is a joint venture of Dominion Energy, FirstEnergy Transmission, and Transource Energy.
Editor’s Note: An Update on Data Center Panel Discussion
The panelists for Monday’s discussion about data center development and policy in West Virginia recently changed, and we have a great lineup on tap.
The panelists will be Chris Morris, director of the state’s Data Economy Office; Amy Margolies, executive director of Tucker United; JB Akers, a Republican member of the West Virginia House of Delegates; and Evan Hansen, a Democratic member of the West Virginia House of Delegates.
Nick Preservati, the West Virginia deputy secretary of commerce who previously planned to be on the panel, had to withdraw due to a death in the family.
Fundamental Data, the company behind the proposed Tucker County power plant and data center project, declined my invitation to participate in the panel discussion.
The event at the Davis fire hall is co-sponsored by Mountain State Spotlight and Country Roads News. The doors will open at 6 p.m., and the discussion will begin at 6:30 p.m.
The audience will be invited to submit questions in writing before and during the event. We’re aiming for a calm and respectful discussion about this important topic. I’ll be the moderator, and I hope to see you there.
Dan
(Correction: a graphic in the June 3 edition of Country Roads News incorrectly stated the date of the panel discussion. It will be Monday, June 15, not July 15.)
I've known good people that lived in manufactured homes, and I don't have any issue with people or structure.
I can understand that a stick-built home is too labor and cost intensive. If we are talking about affordability, I am not understanding, however, how a 60x120' lot with a manufactured home can run for $200-300k, with some under $200k. Importantly, who owns the land? Or is the land essentially leased? I'm looking at this from the value perspective of the buyer. Is the asset projected to appreciate or depreciate? Is financing higher? With the emphasis on affordability, I'd be interested in transparency on margins with respect to cost of land and manufactured home vs. the sale price.