Two County Commissioners Inch Toward Support for Data Center
Plus, bus service to Elkins and Oakland begins, one of two lawsuits filed against a 2% recreation fee is withdrawn, and Canaan Valley zoning board is restocked.
By Mat Cloak, Contributing Writer
Tucker County Commission President Mike Rosenau has said he won’t take sides on the local power plant and data center controversy, but his recent public comments indicate that he views the project favorably. His fellow County Commissioner Fred Davis also appears supportive.
The other member of the three-person County Commission, Tim Knotts, has not publicly stated a position on the proposed power plant and data center complex.
Rosenau said at an August 27 meeting that county commissioners have a duty under state law to make their county “financially secure.” That responsibility, he said, makes it challenging for him to oppose a data center project that would bring in millions of dollars in new property tax revenue.
“It’s hard for me to say, ‘I’m not for that,’” Rosenau said.
The comments were in response to audience members who pressed the commission to take a stand against the power plant and data center. A new state law eliminated the ability of local governments to block data center projects that meet certain criteria, a fact that Rosenau cites frequently. However, opponents of the proposed data center complex have urged Rosenau to use his leadership position as the top countywide elected official to try to persuade the backers of the project to move it elsewhere.
Rosenau said he was being singled out by opponents of the facility because he’s up for re-election in 2026. “We have three commissioners here. Why you are focusing in on me, I don’t know,” he said. “But I know it’s because I’m up for election next year.”
Rosenau said he would like the data center complex to be moved to a different location within the county. He declined to say whether he has talked to the current owner of the site of the proposed facility, Western Pocahontas Properties, about different locations.
Like Rosenau, Davis has made comments supportive of data centers but hasn’t explicitly endorsed the local proposal. At the August 27 meeting, Davis said that if the project was moved east to Grant County, then Tucker County would lose the tax revenue but still get the pollution from the power plant.
Davis also defended Western Pocahontas Properties, saying, “They love that mountain just as much as anybody else. They won’t let them destroy the water on the mountain.”
Click here for a list of where prominent local leaders and institutions stand on the proposed power plant and data center complex.
More News
County Bus Service Begins With Rides to Oakland and Elkins
By Mat Cloak, Contributing Writer
Bus service for Tucker County has begun, with Tuesday rides to the Walmart in Oakland and Friday rides to the Walmart in Elkins.
Both routes depart from the Shop N’ Save in Davis at 9 a.m. Riders can jump on or off the bus at select locations along the routes, including stops in Thomas, Hambleton, Parsons, and Montrose. For more information on stops and times along both routes, click Oakland and Elkins.
Potomac Valley Transit Authority (PVTA), the company operating the service, also will pick up passengers at residences that are less than three-quarters of a mile off the designated routes. Riding the full route from Davis to the Walmart stores costs $10 roundtrip. Shorter rides, like from Davis to Thomas, cost $2 for boarding plus $1 for each “zone” traveled.
General Manager Doug Pixler said PVTA will soon offer a non emergency medical transportation service in Tucker County. Pixler hopes that service will begin by October.
As for ridership, Pixler said, “We’ve had some, but we’d like to see more.” Pixler said PVTA needs drivers for Tucker County.
When the bus service was initially announced, Pixler sketched out plans for a more robust service that would help people without cars get to and from work and attend special events.
Pixler stated workforce and weekend transportation plans are still in the works, but the lack of drivers has stifled those plans for now. “It’s hard to do anything without drivers,” Pixler said.
Operator of Inn at Canaan Withdraws Recreation Fee Lawsuit
Taylor Hospitality, a Virginia-based firm that operates the Inn at Canaan, has withdrawn its lawsuit seeking to overturn a 2 percent fee on entertainment and recreation in Tucker County.
The Tucker County Commission voted in November to impose the fee to support the Tucker County EMS Fund. State law requires the fee to be imposed on the users of EMS services, and opponents of the fee say that it illegally targets a narrow range of people and activities.
“Timberline is in a unique position to carry the fight forward for us and the rest of our industry.”
Taylor Hospitality’s move to dismiss its lawsuit in Tucker County Circuit Court came shortly after Timberline Mountain filed a separate lawsuit in federal court challenging the recreation fee.
Alexander Macia, an attorney for Taylor Hospitality, said in a statement, “While Taylor Hospitality still opposes the imposition of this unfair tax on the recreation and hospitality industry in Tucker County, it is clear to us that Timberline is in a unique position to carry the fight forward for us and the rest of our industry, and we applaud its efforts.”
Canaan Valley Zoning Board Revived
By Mat Cloak, Contributing Writer
The Tucker County Commission has appointed a new Canaan Valley building inspector, along with five members of the Canaan Valley Board of Zoning Appeals.
The appointments were approved at the August 27 commission meeting. The new inspector is Tim McLean. The zoning inspector issues permits, collects fees, and conducts inspections, among other duties.
Appointed to the board were Tyler Waldo, Kim Williams, Amy Margolies, Brent Easton, and Tucker Garten. County Commissioner Fred Davis is an ex officio member of the board.
Positions on the zoning board were vacant for nearly two years until the new appointments, said Shelia DeVilder, administrator for the Tucker County Commission.
Click the button below to see a copy of the Canaan Valley zoning ordinance.
Unbelievable.