NEW BUSINESS COMING SOON – Crews from Keith Yost Excavating have begun excavation for a Taco Bell restaurant to be built at the corner of State Route 2 and 22nd Street in Wellsburg. – Warren Scott
WELLSBURG – Excavation work has begun to build a Taco Bell along State Route 2, and the Wellsburg City Council has set a date for an auction of about a dozen vacant lots from which dilapidated buildings were removed over the past year.
Construction of the fast-food restaurant at the corner of Route 2 (known in the city as Commerce Street) and 22nd Street is expected to begin soon.
The property was purchased by Trinity Holdings of Morristown, Tennessee, a franchisee that has opened Taco Bell restaurants in other cities, including Parkersburg.
Mayor Dan Dudley said he had been told the new location would have indoor seating and a drive-thru and is expected to be completed in a few months.
Dudley expressed hope that the development would attract interest from other new companies.
He said the new bridge over the Ohio River south of the city attracted Ohioans who regularly visited local restaurants, grocery stores and casinos.
“It helps. It brings us more business,” said Dudley.
On Tuesday, the city council set October 12 as the date for the public auction of the vacant lots left over after the demolition of about a dozen dilapidated buildings.
The demolition, which largely took place in residential areas, was funded by a $290,000 grant that city attorney Ryan Weld secured from a West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection pilot program.
The date reflects the desire of some council members to hold the auction on a Saturday morning to increase participation.
However, the timing and further details have not yet been determined.
Fourth District Councilman Charlie Harris suggested that the minimum bid for each district should be equal to the assessed value determined by the county tax office.
The city plans to move forward with the demolition of at least 12 more properties. The demolition of these properties is planned with a second grant from the state Department of Environmental Protection.
The demolition must be carried out in cooperation with the building owners, who transfer their ownership rights to the city.
Weld had previously stated that many property owners would have been happy to do this because they could not afford to repair or demolish the buildings themselves.
Council members also discussed ways to increase the city’s revenue.
A restructuring of the city’s business and commercial taxes, the implementation of a payroll tax on city employees – which would require the city to participate in the state’s home rule program – and an increase in the annual municipal service fee have all been discussed, but no action has been taken.
