Harpers Ferry News and Events

Elections for Mayor, Recorder, and five Town Council members will be held on Tuesday, 11 June 2013.  We are currently seeking eligible residents to work during the elections period, especially those registered as Republican, Independent, or third‐party.  For more information or to apply to work, please contact Recorder Kevin Carden (recorder@harpersferrywv.us).

The filing period for candidates to appear on the ballot is closed.  Write-in candidate applications may be received until 23 April at Town Hall.

The slate of candidates to appear on the ballot will be (incumbents in italics):

• For Mayor:  Greg Vaughn
• For Recorder:  Kevin Carden
• For Council:  Betsy Bainbridge, Helen "Hap" Becker, Jerry Hutton, Dan Riss, Charlotte Thompson

Other important elections information:

• Applications for absentee ballots for military and overseas voters only may be submitted beginning Wednesday, 2 January.  Click here to obtain the form.
• Applications for absentee ballots for all other eligible voters may be submitted beginning Tuesday, 19 March.  Click here to obtain the form.
• Absentee ballots will be mailed out beginning Monday, 29 April.
• Early voting will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Town Hall every day from Wednesday, 29 May, until Saturday, 8 June, except Sunday, 2 June.

NOTICE:  The Planning Commission held public workshops on 7 March and 4 April regarding the key zoning amendment proposals which are under consideration and intends another workshop on a revised version that is a proposal of amendments to the complete zoning ordinance and related changes elsewhere in our ordinances.  A final draft proposal will be sent forward to Council thereafter and will have at least two public readings and ample opportunity to comment further.  Please watch the Planning Commission page for posted materials and for further updates.

The Harpers Ferry Traffic Code has been updated and revised to comply with current West Virginia Code and to incorporate some new regulations related to parking.  A policy for administration of residential parking permits has also been adopted on a trial basis.

At a Jefferson County Planning Commission hearing on 9 October 2012, representatives of Bolivar and Harpers Ferry, including both Mayors, the Harpers Ferry Planning Commission and Town Council, and the National Park Service, testified against a BCT rezoning request.

BCT owns a small parcel of vacant land at the intersection of Washington Street and US 340 on which it has requested rezoning from Rural to a more intensive Commercial / Light Industrial zone.  This parcel is within the National Park Service acquisition boundary and adjacent to the Bolivar Heights Civil War Battlefield which is prominently visible from US 340.  The National Park Service has been attempting to purchase the property in order to preserve it and the character of the area, which is the gateway to the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and is primarily open space, rural and historic in character. The US 340 Corridor East Gateway Plan, currently under consideration as an amendment to Jefferson County’s Comprehensive Plan, seeks to preserve that character.

Despite the testimony against the rezoning request, the Jefferson County Planning Commission voted to recommend to the County Commission approval of the rezoning.  The date of that meeting has not yet been announced.  In the meantime, anyone wishing to write to the County about the rezoning (Application #Z12‑02) may do so to:  Jefferson County Commission, PO Box 250, 124 East Washington Street, Charles Town WV  25414; email info@jeffersoncountywv.org (put in subject box "Comments on BCT Rezoning Request"); call 304‑728‑3284; or fax 304‑725‑7916.

To read the Mayor’s letter to the Jefferson County Planning Commission and to see the rezoning location map, click here.