Economic development vs. cross country Land use covenants will eventually force course to move

Feb. 5—Progress can be a bittersweet journey, as the planned transfer of a "field of dreams" along the Charles W. Meadows Memorial Boulevard shows.

Acreage situated below Beckley Stratton Middle School and Beckley Elementary School is central to a plan for economic growth in Beckley. Part of the lot hosts the Willie Barbera Memorial Cross Country Course and has placed the city on the cross country map in West Virginia.

In December, the non-profit Pinecrest Development Corporation offered the city 146 acres at Pinecrest Business and Technology Park, including the cross country course. Beckley Common Council will vote on whether to accept the property once a survey is completed this month. In order to accept the property, the city must agree to use the acreage only for business development.

Woodrow Wilson High School Cross Country Coach George Barbera wants Beckley Common Council to preserve the course, which he and his father, the late Willie Barbera, had designed and mapped. Pinecrest Development gave verbal permission for them to use the property until the lot could be developed.

Mayor Rob Rappold on Friday recognized the contribution that the father and son have made to the cross country sport in the region.

"Between Willie and George Barbera, I think they've put Beckley on the cross country map," said Rappold. "We really appreciate that and recognize that."

The city has limited choice on how the acreage that hosts the course will be used, the mayor added.

Pinecrest has owned the land since 1992, when the state deeded about 700 acres of farm land to the fledgling 4-C Economic Development, of which the late Beckley Mayor Emmett Pugh was a founding member. Pugh and other members had a vision of creating businesses and jobs for Beckley.

By 2013, 4-C was New River Gorge Regional and Development Authority (NRGRDA), and Pinecrest Development Corporation, with Pugh as president, was formed with the intention of overseeing the development, which now hosts a technology center and several offices. The original vision of economic development was written into the land use covenants that govern construction.

In December, Pinecrest President Bill Baker and Treasurer Nancy Kissinger offered the acreage to the city but told Council that the city must seek approval from Pinecrest Development Corporation before permitting construction projects.

"If we transfer the deed to the city, there is a stipulation in that deed which must be accepted," Kissinger said. "It is a business park. And it has to remain a business park. We have covenants for construction."

Members of Beckley Common Council and Rappold, who serves as chair of NRGRDA, expressed agreement with the terms of the transfer in December.

NRGRDA Executive Director Jina Belcher said in December that the city will develop infrastructure, and, because of the site's proximity to the Raleigh County Memorial Airport industrial park, the city will have the unique ability to use the business park property to incentivize the manufacturers that are locating within the industrial park to position their back-office administrative facilities within Pinecrest.

The transfer of the acreage to the city is a "win-win," local officials have said.

Barbera said losing the course will be a devastating blow to Woodrow Wilson's cross country program.

The team is a stand-out in the state and has dominated Class AAA Region 3 Cross Country for several years. The course has played a pivotal role in their success, said Barbera.

Barbera started Woodrow's program when his son entered the high school. Before that, he started the cross country team at Park Middle School. They ran at New River Park, which presented dangers.

Barbera's dad, Willie, left retirement in 2016 and came up from his home in Florida to coach his grandson's cross country team at Woodrow Wilson, just as he had coached Barbera's team decades earlier. Barbera was assistant coach.

In Beckley, the Barbera guys started to look for a course.

The only suitable lot was on the Pinecrest acreage. Barbera said Pinecrest President Baker, a former Raleigh County Schools superintendent, verbally gave permission to use the land.

Barbera and Willie designed and mapped the course at Pinecrest and maintained it.

"We got along just like every other Italian father and son," Barbera said Thursday. "I didn't grow up in the quietest house, but we can sit and laugh 'til we cry five minutes after having an argument about something.

"So he was my best friend."

Gary Morefield, who has created many of Beckley's walking and hiking trails, helped develop the course. Barbera said other coaches have described it as one of the most challenging in West Virginia.

Barbera said the course offers everything: safety for runners, parking for parents and guests at the schools and spectator visibility from the start of the race to the finish line, which is extremely rare.

"Supervision of athletes in this sport is tough," Barbera added. "But this place is amazing for that. They're right in front of you.

"It helps to prevent injury, vs. running on pavement. I don't like my kids to run on pavement."

The course is used by middle and high school and some college teams from across the state, including West Virginia University Institute of Technology, Barbera said.

"We host a meet at the beginning of the season," said Barbera. "The money we raise from entry fees and concession sales pays for our entire season, just about.

"Not only that, every year, we give ($500) donations to either the middle school programs or, most recently, Beckley Wrestling."

Willie, a native of Mount Hope, died in 2017. The father of a team member suggested that the course be named in memory of him. Locally, it is recognized as the Willie Barbera Memorial Cross Country Course.

Within the past few weeks, Barbera heard rumors that the lot would be developed when the city took it over, but he had never been officially notified. His concern is that the kids will be left without a field and the sport will suffer in Beckley.

Kelly Harrison, whose son Chase Harrison was a member of the cross country team, said Friday that cross country helps kids to stay physically fit and to learn teamwork.

"It really helps kids build self-esteem," she said. "George was like a father figure to every kid on that team, from the fastest runner to the slowest runner.

"(The course) is important to our kids, and it's important to our community," said Harrison. "If I thought an extra office building would help, I'd be for that, too."

Chase on Friday called The Register-Herald to say that he is in favor of the course's current location.

Reginald Henry, a local attorney, said Friday that he wants members of Beckley Common Council to consider the importance of the track to the region.

"Obviously, it's an ideal piece of property for its current use. Theoretically, it could either be accepted under those terms, or the city and some other entity could purchase it and it could be used as its pre-eminent purpose, as a recreational area as a natural area.

"I want it to be a transparent process where people have an opportunity to have their input heard and considered," Henry added. "I'm optimistic that when they hear from the community, they'll realize that the best use for the land is what it is currently being used for."

A map provided by NRGRDA Executive Director Belcher shows the course would need about 30 acres, including a lucrative piece of property with frontage to the East Beckley Bypass.

----Pinecrest Development Corporation Board of Directors President Bill Baker on Friday was shocked to learn there was a controversy about the lot being developed.

Baker spent his career educating local students and later became Raleigh schools superintendent. He said he wanted to help out the school, so he gave verbal permission several years ago for the team to use the course as long as it was not being developed.

"I was approached some years ago about using that property for Woodrow's cross country," said Baker. "Trying to be a nice guy and help the school, I said ... 'As long as we're not building on that property, I don't care if you run on that property.

"Our position was, if we're not building on it, we don't have any problem for you to hold meets there.

"Once we start building on that property, that property is going to be used for job creation and to help grow businesses for the area," said Baker, recalling what he told an unidentified person who had approached him. "The city's going to have to do exactly as we have and go by the covenants."

Baker said that Barbera had not contacted him about the agreement, but he believed it would be better for the cross county team if plans for made for another course.

"I would suggest George's best option is to find something now, rather than have to do it later, because, eventually, it will be developed," Baker advised.

He said there have also been requests to place a dog park on the property, but Pinecrest's vision for the property has always been about economic development and job creation. That was the original vision of founders, and it has never changed.

"Everybody wants a dog park," Baker explained. "I think we need a dog park, but (this acreage) would have to be a business park."

----As is often the case in small towns, a family connection makes things more poignant and, usually, more complicated. In this case, Barbera is cousin-by-marriage to Mayor Rappold.

At-Large Councilwoman Sherrie Hunter is Rappold's sister-in-law and Barbera's cousin.

Rappold, who will not have a vote on the transfer of the property to the city but strongly supports it, said that he and Belcher met with Baker on Friday regarding the cross country course and that Baker had solidly defined the terms of the transfer, again.

"All covenants that are in place now must be adhered to by the city, really at the risk of losing the opportunity to do it," he said. "It's been very cut-and-dry."

Rappold offered use of the Historic Black Knight golf course to the cross country team and offered to schedule golf around the meets. He said that West Virginia University of Technology scouts were once eyeing acreage on the old city dump, which is being remediated under a Brownfields grant, for use as the college's course. Woodrow Wilson's team is welcome to use it when it is completed. Future sites may also become available, he said.

"We've opened up Black Knight to them in the past," said Rappold. "They know the city's on board with them.

"Even some of our other owned property would be available," he added. "I would say at least two other venues are possible."

The mayor said he would work with Director of Parks and Recreation Leslie Baker to offer sites for a new course.

Barbera said the course on the Pinecrest acreage is a rare jewel in cross country sports. He said he wished he had been notified earlier of the potential development of the lot since students are impacted.

He has hopes the team can continue to use part of the acreage of the current course, even if the site is developed. He said he has looked throughout the area and the current property is the best for a cross country team.

Acceptable lots that have ample parking have not yet been offered, but Barbera said he is willing to build a new course in order to continue the cross country program in Beckley.

"You just never know what could happen," he said. "This is the beginning, I think.

"This isn't the end."