Fairmont attacking abandoned property

Fairmont, known for decades as The Friendly City, wants to become the No Long Ugly City.

The city is working with Blighted, Abandoned and Dilapidated Buildings (BAD) to demolish or deconstruct 300 buildings in Fairmont.

Crews demolished the Teamsters building on Jackson Street earlier this week. Interim City Planner Mark Miller says it was vacant for several years and becoming a safety hazard.

Abandoned property is a problem all over Marion County.

Monongah Mayor Greg Vandetta is conferring with the town’s code enforcement officer about what to do when people don't comply after a letter is sent to them about property maintenance violations.

Former Monongah Town Council member Sanford Carr, Rick Sypult and Danny DeNoon, tired of looking at a Camden Avenue (U.S. 19) eyesore, rolled up their sleeves and cleaned up the property. No red tape or waiting for this trio.

Mannington also is armpits deep in abandoned property.

With less than half the state’s civilian population having a job and coal mining being hammered toward extinction by regulations, finding the property owners is a problem because they just up and leave to look for better prospects elsewhere.

At 17.6%, West Virginia has the highest percentage of working-age people on disability benefits, far above the national average of 10.4%, which probably is a reflection, in part, on working in the coal mines, one of the most dangerous jobs in America for a century.

At 41.9, West Virginia has the fourth-highest median age, because the younger residents are seeking employment and a better life elsewhere. And they abandon their property as a farewell gift to their neighbors.