Adding population in an area that has been losing residents for more than 80 years takes space, and that is why Ohio County Commissioner Zach Abraham and his colleagues are searching for a large swath of property that’s already owned or is up for sale.
Abraham has been convinced since running for and winning one of three seats on the Commission more than a year ago that Ohio County is in a position to finally reverse the trend of decline, and that’s because of the Wheeling area’s cost of living, its proximity to a much larger municipality like Pittsburgh and Columbus, and because of lessons learned about remote working during the coronavirus pandemic.
“In the very beginning of Covid, pretty much everyone had to figure out how to work from home, and most of the time, employees and their companies figured it out,” Abraham said. “I think that opened the door for us because we have great schools here, property taxes are much lower in West Virginia, and we have much more in the way of amenities than most people realize.
“We live in a safe place, too,” the commissioner said. “Sure, we have crime, but nothing compared to other areas that aren’t too far away.”
Taxpayers in Ohio County do own more than 800 acres, including parcels near the Wheeling-Ohio County Airport, in outlying areas near The Highlands, and the County Farm along U.S. Route 40 at Roney’s Point.
“We have had some general conversations about the properties the county owns and what we should be thinking about as far as what is possible in terms of development,” Abraham reported. “From what I understand, through the years the members of the Ohio County Commission have had some developers come by and say they wanted to look at some of the lands we do own.
“Nothing has really taken off from those conversations,” he said. “As far as the county farm acreage at Roney’s Point, there is a well pad on that property near the eastern side of that large parcel, and there are some other gas lines that now go through that property. There is one pretty flat area of that property, but that is where the well pad is today, so I’m not sure how attractive that property would be to a housing developer because a lot of it is hillside.”
Not Since 1890
The U.S. Census Bureau reported the agency’s 2020 count revealed Ohio County’s residential population reached its lowest point since the 1890s. The high point was recorded in the 1940s (73,000), but since the county’s tax roll have lost nearly 30,000 citizens.
The worst population decrease took place in the 1980s when 17 percent (61.3K to 50.9K) vanished from the county’s 410 square miles thanks to steady workforce declines in the steel and coal industries.
According to a report published this morning by The Intelligencer, Berkeley County grew the most of any of West Virginia’s 55 counties, adding a little more than 3,400 residents from July 1, 2020, to July 1, 2021. The report stated that Monongalia County welcomed 471 new residents during the same time span, but that overall, the Mountain State recorded 6,839 fewer citizens during the first year of the new decade.
“As we move forward, we are always doing our best to develop ways to maximize what we have here in Ohio County, and of course, one of our goals is to increase the population in the county,” Abraham explained. “I think it’s easy to concentrate on the issues that are in front of us all of the time, but we also believe that taking consistent looks at the big picture that’s possible here in Ohio County is something we should always be doing, too.
“Of course, we have The Highlands and there’s been a lot of recent discussion about the second interchange to and from that development because that’s really a project we need to make happen in the name of safety, and in the name of future growth,” he said. “But we have some much more potential, I believe, and I feel what we need to do from this point is recognize our assets so we can market them to developers who see it, too, and want to make positive things happen in Ohio County.”
Working with officials of the Regional Economic Development Partnership also is an option, the Ohio County commissioner included when addressing potential housing.
“We do own some other smaller properties near The Highlands and some parcels near the Ohio County Airport, but there have been some ideas we have talked with the folks at RED-P as far what they may be looking at since they are always looking for economic development projects throughout the Valley,” Abraham said. “RED owns several properties in many areas, so we have spoken with them as far as what they have now and what they may be planning to look at in the future.
“There are a few properties they have near The Highlands that have some potential, but I don’t know if they are exploring those for industrial commercial use or if those parcels could be used for something concerning residential,” he said. “It’s always helpful to have those conversations with groups like RED, and I do think something will develop at some point, but right now we do not own property where a significant development could take place.”
