Upper Monongahela River Association, Inc.
P.O. Box 519
Granville, WV 26534-0519

RE: Sure Ventures Morgan Run Development

Tuesday 10 February 2004

Russell L. Bolyard, General Manager
ALCON Planning & Consulting
6 Canyon Road
Morgantown WV 26508

Dear Mr. Bolyard:

I write on behalf of our Board of Directors concerning plans for the Morgan Run development. We do appreciate that Sure Ventures is taking an open approach concerning the proposed development, by asking for public input.

Our area of concern includes the Upper Monongahela watershed in West Virginia, as you can see by visiting our UPPERMON.ORG website. Thus, our interest in the proposed Morgan Run development.

Our board shares the concerns that have been expressed to you by the Cheat Lake Environment & Recreation Association, and, by the Cheat Neck Planning District Advisory Committee. We hope that you will heed their concerns.

We feel that Cheat Lake as evidenced on boating season weekends already has too much crowded and unsafe boating activity. The existing marinas are capable of handling both existing and future boating needs. Expansion of the Morgan Run inlet marina therefore is not needed.

There are also the obvious concerns concerning the inadequate Morgan Run road, damage to the fragile Morgan Run inlet, and, provision of water and sewage services for the proposed high-density housing development.

We thus urge that Sure Ventures work closely with CLEAR, the planning district, and, other concerned stakeholders in the Cheat Lake area, to mitigate these problems, and, to solve the concerns of such stakeholders to their satisfaction.

Sincerely,

Donald C. Strimbeck, Secretary

cc: Charles L. Simons, Allegheny Energy Supply Company LLC, 4350 Northern Pike, Monroeville PA 15145-2841. csimons@alleghenyenergy.com
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Donald C. Strimbeck
109 Broad Street; P. O. Box 519
Granville WV 26534-0519

Tuesday 10 February 2004

Russell L. Bolyard, General Manager
ALCON Planning & Consulting
6 Canyon Road
Morgantown WV 26508

Dear Mr. Bolyard:

You of course have another letter from me on behalf of our Upper Monongahela River Association Incorporated, concerning the proposed Morgan Run development.

But, I want to ad my personal comments, based on living in the Cheat Lake area from 1947 until I moved to my present riverbank home in Granville in May 1994.

I had four lakeside homes with personal docks on Cheat Lake: (1) Sunset Beach, 1960-1962; (2) Cheat Canyon Park, 1962-1971; (3) Rockley on Cheat, 1971-1985; and, (4) Warm Hollow, 1985-1994.

The main reason I left Cheat Lake was because I, like many others, learned it best to stay off of the lake from noon Friday until Monday morning, especially on holiday weekends during the boating season. Frankly, the lake was then, and, still is, full of boating idiots that make pleasure boating an oxymoron, let alone a dangerous endeavor! Therefore, Cheat Lake does not need any increase in the number of marinas and docks or slips available for boaters.

Again, as per my letter on behalf of UMRA, please reach agreement with the stakeholders in the Cheat Lake area concerning your proposed Morgan Run development.

Permit me to make two more comments concerning developments in the Cheat Lake area.

First, last year's episode about the Cheat Lake area concrete plant showed how lack of government capability for planning and zoning can lead to proposed endeavors quite upsetting to the affected public. Fortunately, those proposing the plant responded to the public outcry and withdrew their plans.

Second, as a bit of history, George Longenecker, Dora Hennen, I, others, in 1972 formed the Cheat Lake Area Environmental Conservancy, primarily in response to the proposed Upper Rockley coal mine off of the Snake Hill Road. We also quickly recognized the need for planning and zoning in the Cheat Lake area. Those south and west of the lake mostly favored the idea. Those north and east of the lake were adamantly opposed! Now, a generation later, we hopefully will see planning districts put in place by the Monongalia County Commission for the Cheat Lake area!

Sincerely,

cc: Charles L. Simons, Allegheny Energy Supply Company LLC, 4350 Northern Pike, Monroeville PA 15145-2841. csimons@alleghenyenergy.com
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