Summit Point water & sewer, Ranson zoning, Harpers Ferry events
Published about 17 hours ago • 14 min read
Observer Weekly
June 18, 2026
Jefferson County, WV news & events
We start this week’s issue in Summit Point, then work our way northward through Ranson and end up in Harpers Ferry. It’s only 14 miles by road (a half hour drive unless it’s rush hour or tourist season), but quite the change from rural landscape to dense city and then to preserved parkland.
In the mid 1800s, both Summit Point and Harpers Ferry were thriving small towns in Jefferson County and Ranson was farmland. Fast forward to 2026 and Summit Point remains a small community, Harpers Ferry has turned into one of the most visited national historical parks in the country, and Ranson is on its way to becoming the largest city in Jefferson County.
The convoluted path of development in Jefferson County was one of the topics I discussed on WRNR earlier this week, along with Jefferson County Commission politics, the status of the Middleway water bottling plant, and another transmission line announcement.
Both the Charles Town City Council and the Jefferson County Development Authority had lengthy discussions this week about providing water and sanitary sewer service to the Summit Point area.
City Council Emphasizes Desire To Serve Summit Point
During its meeting on Monday, June 15, the Charles Town City Council heard from Paul Mantello, CTUB’s General Manager and John Maxey, a CTUB board member. They outlined how the parameters for providing water and sewer to Summit Point have changed significantly in the past several months:
CTUB commissioned and paid for a feasibility study in early 2025 in response to a request by Summit Point Raceway Associates (SPRA) for public water and sanitary sewer service for its 700+ acre facility. That study recommended onsite package plants (compact, factory-built water treatment systems that can be installed quickly without the need for large-scale infrastructure construction) for both water and sewer service as the most cost effective solutions.
CTUB was approached in April 2026 by a development company that recently purchased 230 acres in Summit Point for a data project. Mantello reported he has met with the developer and its engineering firm several times since then to assess their needs, which would require significantly more water than what was envisioned for the SPRA project.
The data center developer has also expressed strong interest in using recycled water (a “purple line”) which could be supplied from one of CTUB’s existing waste water treatment facilities.
Mantello made the case that a regional water and sewer system seems more viable than a package plant solution at this point and noted that the extension of water and sewer lines to Summit Point could be integrated with the planned upgrades to the Charles Town wastewater plant to spread those fixed costs over a larger revenue base.
Maxey told the City Council that CTUB has identified an engineering firm to prepare a preliminary engineering and analysis report (a more detailed study than the earlier feasibility study) that will enable CTUB to right-size the Summit Point project design and develop cost estimates that can be presented to the state for infrastructure grants.
JCDA Authorizes Grant Application
During the Jefferson County Development Authority meeting on Wednesday, June 16 (image above), Daryl Cowles, the JCDA Executive Director, asked the board to authorize him to submit an application to the US Department of Agriculture for a $75,000 grant that could be used to fund a preliminary engineering and analysis report. From the description, this would be the same type of report that CTUB is planning.
Earlier this year the JCDA had received direction from the Jefferson County Commission to move forward with supporting a utility project for Summit Point. During a meeting on February 17, the JCDA rebuffed CTUB in favor of working with West Virginia American Water (WVAW) and in May the JCDA voted to hire an attorney to draft a public-private partnership agreement with WVAW.
During this week’s meeting, the JCDA board seemed to have a change of thinking. During the discussion on the motion to approve the grant application, JCDA board member Kathy Skinner proposed an amendment that would make the grant application neutral as to the specific utility provider. County Commission President Pasha Majdi, who also serves on the JCDA board, remarked during the discussion that “CTUB would be the right provider and he would like to convene a conversation with CTUB” about working on the project. After Cowles confirmed that a provider-neutral approach would meet the grant application requirements, the board voted unanimously to authorize the application.
Majdi followed up with The Observer following the meeting to amplify his remarks: “I’m a big supporter of CTUB expansion. Everyone in the county needs clean water and CTUB needs to expand to be financially viable. If JCDA can bring in some grant money, that’s an even better deal for CTUB and for our ratepayers.”
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Ranson City Council Notes: June 2026
click image for full map
During its June 16 meeting, the Ranson City Council received brief staff reports and end-of-year financial updates, then turned to a more lengthy discussion of a rezoning request.
Police Department Struggles With Staffing
During the staff reports at the beginning of the meeting, the City’s Chief of Police, Jeffrey Cisar reported that the department continues to be short-staffed, with officers working double shifts each week to maintain coverage. Cisar said the department has 8 candidates who will be taking the evaluation test this weekend, but none are West Virginia certified, so any candidates passing the initial test would still need to complete the state’s police academy program before they could join the department.
Developer Seeks Zoning For Commercial Project
The main topic under new business was a request from Unopaesano LLC to rezone a 7.4 acre property to the “Highway Commercial” classification. The property is located off Jefferson Terrace Road, just east of the intersection of Route 340 and Route 9, behind the Motel 6 visible from Route 340. The Unopaesano property also borders the 70 acre Stone Springs residential subdivision currently being built out by Stanley Martin that will have 325 homes when it is complete.
The property was previously zoned “Urban Commercial,” but that zoning classification has been retired so a rezoning is required before any development can proceed. The City’s Planning Commission found the rezoning to be consistent with Ranson’s Comprehensive Plan when it reviewed the proposal on May 11.
During the City Council’s first review of the rezoning request on May 19, Councilmember Stephanie Fagan noted that the Future Land Use Map in the Comprehensive Plan designated this property as parkland. The property was never owned by the City, nor was it ever included in a capital budget for parkland acquisition, so it is unclear why it was designated that way in the Future Land Use Map.
Dr. Christine Wimer of the Jefferson County Foundation spoke to the parkland question during the public hearing on the rezoning during the June 16 meeting. She noted that while the Foundation typically supports the preservation of agricultural and open space land, the property owner has a vested interest in this land as a commercial property due to the previous zoning classification. Wimer recommended that the Council consider the totality of the Comprehensive Plan, essentially supporting the Planning Commission’s position on the rezoning.
The Council had a brief discussion following the public hearing and voted to support the rezoning, with only Fagan voting against the request.
Updating The Zoning Map Per City Code
In passing the ordinance to enact the rezoning of the Unopaesano property, the City is paying close attention to the process specified in the City Code to update and reenact the City’s Zoning Map. During the May Council Meeting, City Manager Todd Wilt had briefed the Council on the City’s failure to accurately track zoning updates dating back to at least 2012. The Council was divided on whether the City’s attempt to capture the backlog of updates in the Zoning Map approved by the Council on May 19 resolves all of the outstanding issues with the map.
A message from the Contemporary American Theater Company
NEW PLAYS. IT’S WHAT WE DO.
For over three decades the Contemporary American Theater Festival has been shaping the landscape of American theater while providing audiences with fearless art that sparks conversations.
Create your own curated package or see all five new plays, then meet the playwrights, the performers, and the creatives in discussions and lectures, mingle with fellow theater lovers, and add context to your experience.
Immersion. Amazement. Ambience. All happening in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, a place transformed each summer by a gathering of theater makers and theater lovers, joined in the act of creation.
Holiday Closures this weekend — Friday, June 19 is Juneteenth and Saturday, June 20 is West Virginia Day. Local government offices, the US Post Office, banks, and some businesses will be closed on Friday June 19 for the Juneteenth federal holiday. Some local government offices will be closed on Monday to observe WV Day, while others have designated Friday as the employee holiday for the state holiday. Here’s a partial list of local closures:
Banks & Post Office — Friday only
State Offices (including DMV) — Friday only
Federal Offices (including SSA) — Friday only
Jefferson County
County government — Friday
City of Charles Town — Friday & Monday
City of Ranson — Friday & Monday
Town of Bolivar — Friday and Monday
Town of Harpers Ferry — Friday
Town of Shepherdstown — Friday
Berkeley County
County Commission — Friday
City of Martinsburg — Friday & Monday
Morgan County
County government — Friday
Town of Bath — Friday
Antietam, C&O Canal, and Harpers Ferry National Parks are open during both holidays, with normal hours & fees. West Virginia state parks are also open during both holidays. The Jefferson County Solid Waste Authority transfer station in Kearneysville will be open Friday and Saturday. The Berkeley County recycling centers will be closed on Friday and open on Saturday.
Bulky Item Collection event on June 20 — The Berkeley County Recycling and Solid Waste Authority will accept bulky items for free on Saturday, June 20, between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm at the Grapevine Road Recycling Center (111 Landfill Drive, Martinsburg). Limit of 5 items per vehicle per day. Open to all West Virginia residents. >>>More info…
Cycling on Film and in Jefferson County — Charles Town resident and Councilman Alden Roth, a film and bicycling enthusiast, will showcase both of his passions on Saturday, June 20 at 2:00 pm at the Shepherdstown Opera House. Filmed by Bike, a national film festival organized by Roth and Olivia Loy, will screen a collection of short films about bikes. After the screening, audience members will learn about — and give input to — a new project led by Alden and his partners: the creation of updated cycling maps and route information for Jefferson County. Tickets are pay-what-you-will and available in advance and at the door.
Berkeley County Comprehensive Plan meetings on June 24 — The County Commission is seeking feedback from the community about the recently-released draft of the Berkeley County Comprehensive Plan (click link for full document). The County will hold two drop-in discussion sessions on Thursday, June 24. The first session will be held at the Martinsburg Public Library (101 West King St, Martinsburg) between 10:00 am and noon. The second session will be held at the Berkeley County Administration Building (400 West Stephen St, Martinsburg, on the 2nd floor) between 5:00 and 7:00 pm. Community members can also provide comments via an online survey.
Community Cycling & Walking Workshop on June 24 — The West Virginia Department of Transportation will host a community planning workshop for the Statewide Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan on Thursday, June 24 from 4:30 to 6:30 pm in the Shepherdstown Town Hall (104 North King St, Shepherdstown). WVDOT will be asking community members to share their experiences, local expertise, and their vision for statewide active transportation. >>>More info & online survey…
Youth Grants available (June 29 deadline) — The Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation has two grant program applications currently open through June 29 for nonprofits directly serving Berkeley, Jefferson, and Morgan Counties. >>>More info…
American Conservation Film Festival seeks Development Director — The ACFF is looking to hire a Development Director to represent the Festival to donors, sponsors, grant-makers, and others. ACFF is seeking an individual who has a commitment to environmental conservation efforts, and/or independent filmmaking. Responsibilities include planning, administration, and expansion of current ACFF fundraising strategies. The position is part-time, work-from-home. >>>More info…
Former Berkeley County Tax Office employees indicted — US Attorney Matthew Harvey announced a five‑count indictment on June 18 charging Barbara Gail Gooden and Lisa Lee French, both former employees of the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and multiple counts of bank fraud stemming from an alleged long‑running scheme to steal taxpayer funds and misappropriate conservator account assets. The alleged fraud amount exceeds $3 million. >>>Read more…
A message from the Shepherdstown Opera House
Town Run Theater Company presents Greater Tuna
The fictional town of Tuna may be the third-smallest town in Texas, but the laughs are bigger than life. Two actors, 20 characters, and a blizzard of oddball costume changes make for a fast-paced and zany exploration of small-town life in America. Two weekends only, June 12-13-14 and June 19-20-21, at the Shepherdstown Opera House. >>>Details & tickets…
Arts, Culture & Community Events
Highlights of upcoming events around Jefferson County:
On Stage: Greater Tuna — A live theater production of the comedy Greater Tuna by the Town Run Theater Company. Shepherdstown Opera House, 131 West German St, Shepherdstown. June 19, 20 21. Fri & Sat at 7 pm and Sun at 3 pm. $ Tickets & Info…
On Stage: A Night of Fight & Fury — A play presented by the Roving Peregrine Theatre Company. Black Box Theater, 113 South Princess St, Shepherdstown. June 19, 20, 21. Fri & Sat at 8 pm and Sun at 2:30 pm. $ Tickets & Info…
Live Music: Empire Strikes Brass— Bring lawn chairs and blankets to this live performance that is part of the Levitt AMP Shenandoah Junction Music Series. 235 Sam Michaels Drive, Shenandoah Junction. Friday, June 19, gates open 6 pm, music starts 7 pm. Free. Info…
New Voice Play Festival— Four new one-act plays and audience votes for the best one. Old Opera House, 204 North George St, Charles Town. Friday, June 19–Sunday, June 21. Fri & Sat at 8 pm and Sun at 2:30 pm. $ Tickets & Info…
Prismatic Art Studio Grand Opening— A grand opening celebration with activities and prizes. 113 West Washington St, Charles Town. Saturday, June 20, 10 am-7 pm. Free. Info…
Olla Making Workshop— A workshop on creating and using olla irrigation pots. Shepherdstown Public Library, 145 Higbee Ln, Shepherdstown. Saturday, June 20, 10:30-11:30 am. Free. Info…
Juneteenth Celebration— A community celebration honoring Juneteenth. Evitts Run Park, 501 West Liberty St, Charles Town. Saturday, June 20, 11 am-3 pm. Free. Info…
Celebrating the Semiquincentennial: Exhibit Opening Artist Panel & Reception— A panel discussion with award-winning photographers and exhibition jurors followed by a reception. Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, 401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown, MD. Saturday, June 20, 1-3 pm. Free. Info…
Filmed By Bike— Bicycle-focused short films will be followed by a brief presentation and discussion about Jefferson County Story Rides, a new bike route network project from Village to Village Trails. Shepherdstown Opera House, 131 West German St, Shepherdstown. Saturday, June 20, 2 pm. Pay-What-You-Will Tickets & Info…
RADIUM: An Original Dance Production— Modern dance production based on the true story of the Radium Girls presented by ArtinMovimento Dance Company. Apollo Civic Theater, 128 East Martin St, Martinsburg. Saturday, June 20, 7 pm. $ Tickets & Info…
Movie in the Park: Zootopia 2— Family-friendly outdoor movie at the AMP at Sam Michaels Park, 235 Sam Michaels Drive, Shenandoah Junction. Saturday, June 20, 8:30 pm (gates open 7:00 pm). Free. Info…
Sousapalooza: Make Music Day — Musicians are invited to bring an instrument and join a community performance. The AMP at Sam Michaels Park, 235 Sam Michaels Drive, Shenandoah Junction. Sunday, June 21, 1 pm. Free. Info…
Immigrant Heritage Month Potluck— A community potluck for all ages celebrating Immigrant Heritage Month. Shepherdstown Community Club, 102 East German Street, Shepherdstown. Monday, June 22, 6-8 pm. Free. Info…
Understanding The Declaration of Independence— A book talk presented by the Byrd Center and Four Seasons Books. Byrd Center Auditorium at Shepherd University, 213 North King St, Shepherdstown. Wednesday, June 24, 7 pm. Free. Info…
Maryland State Boychoir— A concert by the Maryland State Boychoir during the choir’s summer camp at Shepherd University. St. Agnes Catholic Church, 200 South Duke St, Shepherdstown. Thursday, June 25, 7 pm. Free. Info…
Book Talk: The Beasts of the East— Andrew Moore will discuss his new book The Beasts of the East: The Fall and Rise of America’s Eastern Wilderness. NCTC Auditorium, 698 Conservation Way, Shepherdstown. Free. Pre-registration required via email to NCTC-Lecture-Series@fws.gov. Info…
Ongoing
St. Isidore Market — Weekly market featuring local vendors offering produce and handmade goods. St. James Catholic Church, 49 Crosswinds Dr, Charles Town. Thursdays, year-round, 5-6:30 pm. Free. Info… Charles Town Farmers Market — Weekly open-air farmers market featuring local produce, baked goods and artisan vendors. South Samuel St between Washington St and Congress St, Charles Town. Saturdays, 9 am-noon. Free. Info…
Shepherdstown Farmers Market — Weekly farmers market featuring local produce, baked goods, artisan crafts, and live music. Behind the Market House, 100 South King St, Shepherdstown. Sundays, 9 am-1 pm. Free. Info…
Martinsburg Farmers Market — Seasonal farmers market featuring local produce, baked goods, and artisan vendors. 125 W King St, Martinsburg, WV. Saturdays, April–October, 10 am-2 pm. Free. Info…
Spotlight — Harpers Ferry’s Impact On The Civil War
Cannons on School House Ridge
On Saturday, June 20, the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park will host a day-long program that will explore various aspects of Harpers Ferry during the Civil War, focusing on the people and events that shaped the outcome of the war and the nation’s long journey toward freedom.
The town’s geography, industry and people made it a strategic prize during the war — a flashpoint in the fight over slavery and a place where the meaning of the United States was fiercely contested.
Program schedule:
11 am — Disaster, Struggle, Triumph. Join a park ranger at Bolivar Heights to learn how the 126th New York Infantry Regiment endured early disaster at the 1862 Battle of Harpers Ferry and later became part of the larger Union effort that helped preserve the nation and advance freedom for 4 million enslaved people. >>>More info…
1 pm — “To Reoccupy Harpers Ferry”: Exploring the Role of Harpers Ferry in the Gettysburg Campaign. Dr. Jennifer M. Murray, the Dennis E. Frye Endowed Chair in Civil War Studies and Director of the Civil War Center at Shepherd University, will explore Harpers Ferry’s strategic importance during the 1863 Gettysburg Campaign and its role in helping Federal forces confront the Army of Northern Virginia’s second invasion of the North. The program will be held at Anthony Hall on Camp Hill. >>>More Info…
2 pm — Grand Civic & Military BBQ Fundraising Event. Visitors can close the day with a barbecue hosted by the Harpers Ferry Park Association, the park’s nonprofit partner. The event will feature patriotic and Civil War-era music by the Furnace Mountain Band. Tickets are $25 per person, and reservations are required. Proceeds support interpretive and educational programs at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. >>>Info & registration…
Information about visiting the Harpers Ferry National Park is available at the park website (NPS.gov/hafe).
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