Parking Spaces

Ordinance to buy property introduced BOONSBORO - The Boonsboro Town Council on Monday introduced an ordinance to buy property at 214 N. Main St., paying for it with state funds, Town Manager John Kendall said. The town has been negotiating with Warrenfeltz True Value and Rental Center about buying its property, which would be used as an access point to Shafer Park and for parking spaces, town officials said. The company, which owns about 1.3 acres at the site, wants to move toward the edge of town, Mayor Charles F. "Skip" Kauffman Jr. said.

By a narrow 3-2 vote Tuesday, the Hagerstown City Council approved a request by the W House of Hagerstown Foundation Inc. for a $350,000 loan from the city for Community Development Block Grant funds. The money will be used to move into its new building at 519 N. Locust St. W House, a substance abuse program for women, purchased the 11,000-square-foot Locust Street property to replace its present 2,500-square-foot home on Antietam Street. Councilwoman Penny May Nigh and Councilman Kristin Aleshire voted against the loan request.

By a narrow 3-2 vote Tuesday, the Hagerstown City Council approved a request by the W House of Hagerstown Foundation Inc. for a $350,000 loan from the city for Community Development Block Grant funds. The money will be used to move into its new building at 519 N. Locust St. W House, a substance abuse program for women, purchased the 11,000-square-foot Locust Street property to replace its present 2,500-square-foot home on Antietam Street. Councilwoman Penny May Nigh and Councilman Kristin Aleshire voted against the loan request.

City briefs: Hamilton Blvd., water, sewer meeting Vote scheduled onHamilton changes Hamilton Boulevard could have a four-way stop sign at Magnolia Avenue and a lower speed limit by March, city officials said Tuesday. City Council members will vote on the traffic changes during their regular meeting on Feb. 24. They are trying to reduce the use of Hamilton Boulevard as a thoroughfare through the North End. Several residents who attended a Jan. 27 hearing on the matter said they preferred a four-way stop sign.

martinsburg@herald-mail.com MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - A house on Raleigh Street purchased by the Berkeley County Commission will be used for offices, while the land around it will be used to add an entrance to an existing parking lot and to create an access road for trucks making deliveries. The Berkeley County Commission signed a contract Thursday morning to buy the house for $169,000. Adding additional parking spaces also is possible, Commissioner Howard Strauss said. The two-story home is at the intersection of Raleigh and Stephen streets across from the Dunn Building, which houses several county offices as well as The Community & Technical College of Shepherd.

Chambersburg YMCA expansion plans move forward By STACEY DANZUSO chbbureau@innernet.net CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - Plans announced last year to expand Chambersburg's YMCA will move ahead with some adjustments, Executive Director David Matthews said. The YMCA's board of directors announced at its meeting Monday that it plans to move forward with the project, Matthews said. While specific details won't be ready until later this winter, Matthews said the project may incorporate a teen center, a youth or preschool area, an expanded fitness center and the construction of a multipurpose room.

Downtown site slated for court project By JULIE E. GREENE Staff Writer Washington County District Court is expected to relocate to a new location downtown, although official word isn't expected before next Wednesday, Hagerstown officials said Tuesday. Vincent Groh, owner of the old Brandt Cabinet Works warehouse at 36 W. Antietam St., said Tuesday night that he signed a contract last week to sell the 29,280-square-foot lot with the four-story warehouse to the state.

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - The subdivision plan for Progress Village, a 443-unit housing complex in Chambersburg's South End, is expected to be approved by the Borough Council later this month. Phases two through seven, submitted by DELM Developers, was one of several projects reviewed Monday night by the borough council and will be placed on the consent agenda for the council's June 26 meeting. The subdivision plan for the first phase, 24 duplex units along Mill Road, was approved last month, said Phil Wolgemuth, the borough's planning director.

marlob@herald-mail.com BOONSBORO - When the downtown streetscape work began three years ago, Boonsboro Mayor Charles "Skip" Kauffman Jr. was convinced that his telephone would be ringing off the hook. "But that didn't happen," he said. And now the project is heading into the homestretch. Town Manager John Kendall said the calls he and Kauffman have gotten have been from reasonable people seeking information. One resident, Andrew Wren, attended a town meeting to voice his displeasure about the type of fencing that was going to be erected in front of his South Main Street home.

Hamilton Blvd. traffic hearing Several Hamilton Boulevard residents have told Hagerstown officials they prefer a four-way stop to losing parking spaces and lowering the speed limit. About 20 people showed up at City Hall on Tuesday for a public hearing on how to reduce the use of Hamilton Boulevard as a thoroughfare through the North End. "It's unsafe for anybody, especially the young children," said Lieba Cohen, of 1104 Hamilton Blvd. Cohen said she wasn't sure if any of the proposed solutions would work, but preferred a four-way stop at West Irvin Street or Hillcrest Road rather than Magnolia Avenue.