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Birdhill Meadows Subdivision: Stormwater Comment Deadline
May 1 is the deadline to email comments to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WV DEP) for the Birdhill Meadows subdivision stormwater permit.
Lennar, a nation-wide homebuilder, plans to build 720 houses on the 195 acre Birdhill site off Route 480 in Kearneysville.
The concept plan for the development was approved by the Jefferson County Planning Commission in May 2024. The concept plan shows 324 small-lot single family homes and 396 townhomes/villas. From the description, the project seems similar to Lennar’s Shenandoah Springs development pictured above.
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WV DEP) held a hearing on April 22 to review Lennar’s stormwater management plan. During the hearing, comments from local residents highlighted numerous potential issues. Jefferson County Foundation provided comment during the hearing and has summarized its concerns about the project on its website.
WV DEP will accept public comments on the stormwater management plan until 5 pm on May 1. For this review, WV DEP will consider only comments related to stormwater management. Other issues, such as the project density, setbacks, traffic, etc. are outside of the WV DEP’s jurisdiction. According to WV DEP, public comment can be emailed to Billy.T.Shirley@wv.gov. Comments should include the permit number (WVR112829) in both the subject line and the body of the email.
>>>Read more…
A message from the Skinner Law Firm
After a car accident, medical bills can pile up fast—ambulance, hospital, doctors, and therapy. The best move? Let your health insurance pay first. If you win a settlement later, your insurance gets reimbursed. This keeps collectors off your back while you focus on healing!
>>>Learn more...
WV Humanities Council Suspends Grant
The West Virginia Humanities Council announced that it has paused all its grants, effective immediately.
According to a statement released on April 21, the Council “was recently notified by the federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) that support to our Council from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) was being terminated.”
According to the statement, “[t]he financial support received from NEH represents 50% of the Council’s annual budget. That funding is matched dollar-for-dollar by donations from West Virginians which together provide the funds that enable the Council to host events, provide programs, and support projects that preserve our state’s history and cultural heritage, and promote public discussions about issues that matter to West Virginians.”
In Jefferson County, the Humanities Council has funded many projects. In the past two years, it has helped fund the Statehood and Civil War traveling exhibit that was displayed for several months at the Byrd Center in Shepherdstown, a 2023 teacher training program hosted at Shepherd University, and a new document display case in the Jefferson County Museum.
The Council also provides funding for ongoing programs, including the Talk Theater programming during the annual Contemporary American Theater Festival.
The Appalachian Heritage Writer in Residence Project is another long-running project supported by the Humanities Council. Shepherd University Professor Benjamin Bankhurst, the director of the Appalachian Studies Program told The Observer that the University will still welcome author Annette Clapsaddle to campus in the fall, but some of the project’s programming, including the annual anthology, will not happen unless the funding is restored.
>>>Read more…
A message from Eastern Panhandle T.E.A.M
Reserve your seats to watch the 2025 Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land. The powerful story of a Palestinian activist who joins an Israeli journalist to resist the mass expulsion of a community has captivated audiences worldwide. After the Saturday showing, Eastern Panhandle T.E.A.M. (Together Educating and Advocating for Peace in the Middle East) will host an audience discussion with two leading voices in our region, Adina Friedman and Ahmed Mansour.
>>>Info & tickets…
WVU Medicine to Invest in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties
WVU Medicine recently announced plans to expand and update its flagship facilities in Jefferson and Berkeley counties.
In Jefferson County, $60 million will be used to expand the Jefferson Medical Center. The project includes a three-story building with medical office space and imaging, lab, and ancillary services with shelled space for future growth. As part of the project, the hospital will create a new infusion and cancer care suite that will be part of the WVU Cancer Institute. The project will also include infrastructure modernization and improved parking access.
The Jefferson project will begin in the summer of 2025 with the renovations within the existing structure and the construction of the infusion and cancer care suite. WVU Medicine expects this part of the project will be finished in early 2026. Construction of the medical office building will begin in late 2026, with a target opening in early 2028.
A $200 million investment at the WVU Medicine Berkeley Medical Center will expand inpatient bed capacity from 190 to 316, redesign the emergency department, replace the linear accelerator used for cancer treatment, and add over 400 parking spaces. The parking expansion will be the first step, beginning in August 2025. The larger construction project, to build a new tower to house the patient facilities, will begin in November 2025 and is targeted for completion in early 2028.
>>>Read more…
Weekend Snapshot: Arts, Culture & Community
Highlights of events this weekend around Jefferson County:
Always Keep Your Lion On A Leash — Family-fun performance by Molly Sutter, Friday, April 25, 2 pm & 7 pm. Marinoff Theater, Shepherd University. Free. Info…
Indie Bookstore Day — A day-long event celebrating the magic of indie bookstores, Highlights include banned book bingo (with prizes) blind date with a book, and a golden ticket hunt, trivia contest, bookmark decorating, and other activities. Saturday April 26, 10 am to 9 pm. Four Seasons Books, Shepherdstown. Free. Info…
Blue Ridge Arts & Crafts Festival — 70 Blue Ridge artisans with 100% handcrafted gifts, live music, and food trucks. Saturday, April 26, 11 am to 5 pm. Sam Michaels Park. Free. Info…
Earth Day Art Show — Community art show with prizes (pre-registration required for exhibition). Saturday, April 26, 11 am to 6 pm. Shepherdstown Community Club. Free. Info…
Battle of Shepherdstown Lecture — Talk by Dr. Tom McGrath about the Confederate unit in the Battle of Shepherdstown during the American Civil War. Saturday, April 26, 7 pm. Shepherdstown Opera House. Free. Info…
Sprinkle Coal Dust On My Grave — Concert by Shepherd Masterworks Choral. Saturday, April 26 at 7:30. The feature of the concert is an oratorio for choir and orchestra about the southern West Virginia Mine Wars, written by Walker Williams, a 2015 graduate of the Shepherd Music School. Walker will give a short lecture at 7:00 before the concerts. Frank Center, Shepherd University. Info & tickets…
Stronger With Each Step 5K Color Run — Fundraising event for the Brian O’Neill Jr. Foundation. Sunday, April 27, 1 pm. Sam Michaels Park. Info…
Bingo — Andrew Rotruck Memorial Scholarship Bingo. Sunday, April 27, 2 pm (doors open at 12:30). Shepherdstown Fire Hall. Info…
Open House at USGS Leetown Research Center — Family friendly Earth Day event with science demonstrations & activities. Sunday, April 27, 1 to 4 pm. USGS, 11649 Leetown Rd, Kearneysville. Free. Info…
Rooted in Resilience — A “Blooms For Change” event in support of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Sunday, April 27, 1 to 4 pm. The Spotlight on Main, 119 West Washington St, Charles Town. Info…
Robert Sykes Jazz — Concert at Happy Retreat. Sunday, April 27, 2 pm. Info & tickets…
Kate MacLeod’s Mind the Gap — Neo-Traditional Americana band that performs striking original and traditional music. Sunday, April 27, 3 pm. Shepherdstown Opera House. Info & tickets…
Tell us about your event — email Explore@ObserverWV.com.
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