Vienna’s 10-year plan advances to city council

Kim Williams, a member of Vienna City Council, spoke to the Vienna Planning Commission Monday night about the creation of an east/west connector to enhance access to Interstate 77 that is stated in the 10-year Comprehensive Plan for the City of Vienna. Williams, along with other members of the community, feel the plan didn’t get enough public opinion before being presented to the commission. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

VIENNA — The Vienna Planning Commission voted Monday night to send its 10-year Comprehensive Plan for the City of Vienna to Vienna City Council for consideration.

The vote was 5-3 with Barbara Joyce, Jamie Witkowsky and Kelly Kraft voting no.

“One of the things the plan does involve is community input and what their thoughts are and I think as a planning commission looking at the draft that is before us, we will be doing the community and the residents a dishonor if we do pass this tonight,” Kraft said during the regular meeting of the planning commission.

Members of the community voiced those concerns during a public hearing before that meeting began. Kim Williams, a member of the Vienna City Council, told the planning commission public input is an important part of the planning process.

“And this is the part of the process where unfortunately, it broke down and failed,” she said.

Jim Leach, Vienna Planning Commission vice president, speaks to members of the public Monday night during a public hearing on the 10-year Comprehensive Plan for the City of Vienna. Leach said the plan is merely a guideline that covers the fundamentals of what the city needs in a comprehensive plan. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

Williams said the plan, which was forwarded to the city in January 2020, was put together during COVID restrictions and only 72 people responded to an online survey. She said the commission needs more public input on that plan.

“I just want everybody to take a pause just to get some more public input and to put this on a course that we end up with a good plan,” Williams said. “Because what decisions we make now are going to impact us for the next 10 years.”

Vienna resident Lexi Miller said she was born and raised in Vienna and just moved back in 2022 after being away for seven years.

She said she didn’t get a chance to give her input when the plan was put together and feels there are more out there like her.

“I would like to see more recent input put into the plan,” Miller said. “To give the community a chance to have some more insight into this.”

Jim Leach, Vienna Planning Commission vice president, told those in attendance the plan was merely a guide and that everything would still have to go through city council. He said the question was whether the city government was doing a good job of staying current and updated.

“I am standing on the fact that if you look at the action steps at the end of the comprehensive plan, they are completely germane to what we are doing right now,” Leach said. ” And what we do with it is now up to us moving forward, to keep our kids here, and the city growing and prospering like it has for decades. A history of performance as being one of the best places to live in the state of West Virginia. “

The full comprehensive plan can be found on the homepage of the Vienna City government website at vienna-wv.com under News and Announcements.

In other business, the commission voted on meeting dates for the 2024 year with April 22, July 22 and Oct. 28 being those dates, and voted in new officers.

Jim Sims was elected president, Leach was elected vice president, Joyce was elected secretary and Melvin Turner was elected to be the advising member to the Wood County Planning Commision.

Vienna City Council is scheduled to meet Thursday at 6 p.m. in the City Building located on 29th Street. The meeting is open to the public and will be streamed online.

Douglass Huxley can be reached at dhuxley@newsandsentinel.com

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