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Local News & Events in Jefferson County WV

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Latest Stories

County Commission Plans To Finance New HQ With $16 Million Bond

AmeriCorps Funding Cuts Hit Jefferson County

County Commission Wants Impact Fees To Help Cover Costs of New Offices

West Virginia Humanities Council Suspends All Grants

Birdhill Subdivison Stormwater Management Plan Reviewed by WV DEP

WVU Medicine Will Invest In Berkeley and Jefferson Counties

Sidewinder Files Lawsuit Against Jefferson County Planning Commission

Mobile Food Pantry Serves Growing Need In WV’s Eastern Panhandle

Data Center Microgrid Bill Passes WV House & Senate, To Governor For Signature

Senate Passes Data Center Bill After Changing Tax Distribution Formula

Data Center Tax: Local Share Set By Senate Committee

Governor Morrisey Looks To Data Centers To Fund West Virginia’s Future

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Housing Growth

Birdhill Subdivison Stormwater Management Plan Reviewed by WV DEP

April 23, 2025 Tagged With: Housing Growth, Jefferson County Planning Commission, Lennar, WVDEP

plat of Birdhill subdivision

National homebuilder Lennar has plans to build 720 houses on 195 acres in the Birdhilll Meadows subdivision off Route 480 in Kearneysville.  Read the Full Story >>

Review For Birdhill Subdivison On Feb 25

February 7, 2025 Tagged With: Housing Growth, In Print 2025 Feb-Mar

plat of Birdhill subdivision

The Jefferson County Planning Comnmission will review the Birdhill subdivision preliminary plat on February 25. Read the Full Story >>

Jefferson County Commission Reviews Impact Fees

November 20, 2024 Tagged With: Housing Growth, Impact Fees, In Print Dec 2024, Jefferson County Commission, population growth

impact fee chart

The Jefferson County Commission is reviwing impact fees for new construction. Read the Full Story >>

Jefferson County Foundation Recaps 2024 Efforts

November 20, 2024 Tagged With: Housing Growth, In Print Dec 2024, Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan, Jefferson County Foundation, Ranson Comprehensive Plan, rockwool

Dr. Christine Wimer addresses the Ranson City Council

Jefferson County Foundation is a regular presence at public meetings in Jefferson County, West Virginia. Read the Full Story >>

County Commission Looks At Changes To Impact Fees

November 1, 2024 Tagged With: Housing Growth, Impact Fees, In Print Nov 2024, Jefferson County Commission

Impact Fees by year

Jefferson County has been collecting impact fees on new construction projects since 2004. The initial fee schedule was based on a 2003 report prepared by TischlerBise, a Maryland-based consulting firm that specializes in fiscal and economic planning for local governments. The county had TischlerBise update its recommendations again in a 2015 report. At that time, Read the Full Story >>

Home Building Construction Continues On Fast Pace In Jefferson County

August 1, 2024 Tagged With: Housing Growth, housing trends, In Print Aug 2024

housing growth chart June 2024

County-wide, including Charles Town and Ranson, there were 612 permits issued to begin new home construction in the first half of 2024. Read the Full Story >>

Draft Map For The Future Of Jefferson County Proposes New Growth Areas

May 12, 2024 Tagged With: comprehensive plan, future land use map, Housing Growth, Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan

Shepherdstown South Preferred Growth Area (proposed May 2024)

The Jefferson County Planning Commission is holding a final input session on Monday May 13 for public comment on the future land use map and action items for the new county comprehensive plan. Read the Full Story >>

Panel Discussion On Growth Around Shepherdstown

April 11, 2024 Tagged With: Housing Growth, Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan, Jefferson County Planning Commission, Shepherdstown Comprehensive Plan, Shepherdstown Planning Commission

Shepherdstown preferred growth area (map snippet)

On Wednesday, April 24 at 7:00 pm The Observer hosted a panel discussion on the growth that is expected to affect Shepherdstown-area residents in the next decade. Following the presentations, the panel took questions from the audience participants.  Read the Full Story >>

Housing Construction Continues To Rise In Jefferson County

February 1, 2024 Tagged With: Housing Growth, In Print Feb 2024

Townhomes under construction in Ranson

County-wide, including Charles Town and Ranson, there were 776 permits issued to begin new home construction in 2023.  Read the Full Story >>

Harvest Hills Project Requests Rezoning, Plan Shows 1,000 New Houses

February 1, 2024 Tagged With: Harvest Hills, Housing Construction, Housing Growth, In Print Feb 2024, zoning

Harvest Hills concept plan (Dec 2023)

Arcadia Land, the developer of the Harvest Hills subdivision, is asking to rezone the land from Rural (which limits density) to Residential Growth (which would allow high density).  Read the Full Story >>

The Road Ahead For Jefferson County

February 1, 2024 Tagged With: Housing Growth, In Print Feb 2024, Route 340, solar permitting, zoning

bulldozer in front of house

Route 340 is finally being widened south of Charles Town (below) and the construction of new homes continues to tick up dramatically. There is still a lot of open space and active farmland in the county, but many residents have concerns. Read the Full Story >>

Many More New Homes In Jefferson County

July 28, 2023 Tagged With: Housing Growth, housing trends, In Print Aug 2023, land use, zoning

Housing permits in Jefferson County - chart

For the first six months, the county’s Office of Impact Fees reports that 386 residential construction permits were issued. Read the Full Story >>

Developer Seeks Increased Housing Density For Harvest Hills Subdivision

July 28, 2023 Tagged With: Housing Construction, Housing Growth, housing trends, In Print Aug 2023, land use, zoning

Harvest Hills Concept Plan 2023

Arcadia Development Co, developer of the Harvest Hills subdivision is requesting a zoning change from rural to residential growth, which would allow for higher density of housing on the site. Read the Full Story >>

Hold On Tight!

July 28, 2023 Tagged With: editor's note, Housing Growth, In Print Aug 2023, Jefferson County Fair

carnival ride - spinning chairs

Some carnival rides don’t look too scary when they’re not moving. The one above is just a bunch of swings that go around in a circle like a merry-go-round, right? But wait till it picks up speed — then it’s time to hold on tight!  Read the Full Story >>

New Housing Construction Up Again in Jefferson County

February 7, 2023 Tagged With: Housing Growth, housing trends, In Print Feb 2023, land use, zoning

new housing lots

New Home Construction in Jefferson County continued at a rapid pace for the second year in a row in 2022 and shows no signs of slowing down in 2023.  Read the Full Story >>

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