Morgantown will zone out drilling
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Higher Ground
Nov 1, 2011
9:28 am
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Morgantown will zone out drilling
I noted this in today’s Gazette; Seems that Morgantown is going to repeal their ban on drilling. They intend to tweak their zoning law to accomplish a ban everywhere but areas that are zoned industrial. Morgantown’s lawyers think it will work, and the gas industry seems to agree. As I’ve said before, zoning is probably the only way for the Pocahontas County Commission to approach this problem. Other than through the use of the bully pulpit, County Commissions probably don’t have the power to affect drilling except by zoning. Zoning could practically eliminate drilling through a well-crafted zoning ordinance. We know that the Commission has hired Bob Bastress of WVU College of Law to advise it on these issues. I suspect that Professor Bastress is tuned in to what is going on in Morgantown. While I wouldn’t want the Commission to reveal confidential communications of counsel, I wonder if Professor Bastress has advised the Commission that zoning is the only viable option. |
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RML
Nov 1, 2011
9:47 am
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Re: Morgantown will zone out drilling
Zoning is the only power the county has which is respected by state lawmakers. To have zoning we need to get beyond the narrow-minded ideology of a few outspoken individuals who do not understand what zoning means. The county could simply choose a few categories of land (farm, forest products, industry, residential, fallow) and allow each landowner to pick which category they want for their property. Land would then be taxed according to use. That kind of zoning will protect the rights of landowners while allowing the county to influence future development... -- Rich |