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From the Charleston (WV) Gazette
Developer wants historic land rezoned to build Super Wal-Mart
Residents voice concerns over saving Civil War cemetery
By Susan Williams
STAFF WRITER
FAYETTEVILLE — In 1862, a 19-year-old man wrote a letter to his mother saying he would be home soon. But William Morgan was killed in the Battle of Fayetteville on Sept. 10, 1862, and buried where he fell. Now almost 142 years later, the battlefield is part of another fight, though less fierce.
This time, those who want to keep the ground along U.S. 19 in Fayetteville consecrated and those who want to welcome a shopping mall are taking sides. At least 24 soldiers are buried on the property, known as the Fleshman/Clark farm. Morgan’s gravestone is the oldest in the cemetery, said historian Tim McKinney, who has written several books on the Civil War.
A South Carolina developer wants to have the property re-zoned so he can build a Super Wal-Mart and other stores on the site. Joe Paramore, president of Paramount Development Corp., said he would build a buffer around the cemetery and provide public access to it.
William Lane, who lives within a quarter mile of the proposed site, welcomes the development. Lane said when the development is built, he and his neighbors can get the sewage service they have always wanted.
“It will help me more than hurt me. The town also needs the (business and occupation) taxes to help pay for infrastructure,” Lane said
In the name of progress, I think it’s a shame to walk over the past,” said Jo Davis, a member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, which helps keep up the cemetery. They put up flags and hold ceremonies there.
Davis, who said she was not speaking for the group, said the border for the proposed shopping center would come right up to the cemetery. She said she fears the cemetery would be vandalized.
Lane said the developer would make improvements to the cemetery that it lacks now, with better access and a monument to identify it.
Walt Knupp, a Fayetteville resident, voiced his objections both to disturbing an historic cemetery and to building a Super Wal-Mart so close to Fayetteville. “We want to keep the town residential,” he said. Residents have also started a petition to preserve the battlefield land and cemetery.
The Fayetteville Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a hearing on the Wal-Mart proposal at 6 p.m. April 29 in the Fayetteville High School auditorium.
The zoning commission tabled the issue at their last meeting because members did not think they had enough information. The plans and other information about the project are available at Fayetteville Town Hall.
To contact staff writer Susan Williams, use e-mail or call 304-348-5112.
Matt Crouch
Developer wants historic land rezoned to build Super Wal-Mart
Residents voice concerns over saving Civil War cemetery
By Susan Williams
STAFF WRITER
FAYETTEVILLE — In 1862, a 19-year-old man wrote a letter to his mother saying he would be home soon. But William Morgan was killed in the Battle of Fayetteville on Sept. 10, 1862, and buried where he fell. Now almost 142 years later, the battlefield is part of another fight, though less fierce.
This time, those who want to keep the ground along U.S. 19 in Fayetteville consecrated and those who want to welcome a shopping mall are taking sides. At least 24 soldiers are buried on the property, known as the Fleshman/Clark farm. Morgan’s gravestone is the oldest in the cemetery, said historian Tim McKinney, who has written several books on the Civil War.
A South Carolina developer wants to have the property re-zoned so he can build a Super Wal-Mart and other stores on the site. Joe Paramore, president of Paramount Development Corp., said he would build a buffer around the cemetery and provide public access to it.
William Lane, who lives within a quarter mile of the proposed site, welcomes the development. Lane said when the development is built, he and his neighbors can get the sewage service they have always wanted.
“It will help me more than hurt me. The town also needs the (business and occupation) taxes to help pay for infrastructure,” Lane said
In the name of progress, I think it’s a shame to walk over the past,” said Jo Davis, a member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, which helps keep up the cemetery. They put up flags and hold ceremonies there.
Davis, who said she was not speaking for the group, said the border for the proposed shopping center would come right up to the cemetery. She said she fears the cemetery would be vandalized.
Lane said the developer would make improvements to the cemetery that it lacks now, with better access and a monument to identify it.
Walt Knupp, a Fayetteville resident, voiced his objections both to disturbing an historic cemetery and to building a Super Wal-Mart so close to Fayetteville. “We want to keep the town residential,” he said. Residents have also started a petition to preserve the battlefield land and cemetery.
The Fayetteville Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a hearing on the Wal-Mart proposal at 6 p.m. April 29 in the Fayetteville High School auditorium.
The zoning commission tabled the issue at their last meeting because members did not think they had enough information. The plans and other information about the project are available at Fayetteville Town Hall.
To contact staff writer Susan Williams, use e-mail or call 304-348-5112.
Matt Crouch