Jefferson County Foundation is a regular presence at public meetings in Jefferson County, West Virginia. Read the Full Story >>
Housing Growth
County Commission Looks At Changes To Impact Fees
Jefferson County has been collecting impact fees on new construction projects since 2004. The initial fee schedule was based on a 2003 report prepared by TischlerBise, a Maryland-based consulting firm that specializes in fiscal and economic planning for local governments. The county had TischlerBise update its recommendations again in a 2015 report. At that time, Read the Full Story >>
Home Building Construction Continues On Fast Pace In Jefferson County
County-wide, including Charles Town and Ranson, there were 612 permits issued to begin new home construction in the first half of 2024. Read the Full Story >>
Draft Map For The Future Of Jefferson County Proposes New Growth Areas
The Jefferson County Planning Commission is holding a final input session on Monday May 13 for public comment on the future land use map and action items for the new county comprehensive plan. Read the Full Story >>
Panel Discussion On Growth Around Shepherdstown
On Wednesday, April 24 at 7:00 pm The Observer hosted a panel discussion on the growth that is expected to affect Shepherdstown-area residents in the next decade. Following the presentations, the panel took questions from the audience participants. Read the Full Story >>
Housing Construction Continues To Rise In Jefferson County
County-wide, including Charles Town and Ranson, there were 776 permits issued to begin new home construction in 2023. Read the Full Story >>
Harvest Hills Project Requests Rezoning, Plan Shows 1,000 New Houses
Arcadia Land, the developer of the Harvest Hills subdivision, is asking to rezone the land from Rural (which limits density) to Residential Growth (which would allow high density). Read the Full Story >>
The Road Ahead For Jefferson County
Route 340 is finally being widened south of Charles Town (below) and the construction of new homes continues to tick up dramatically. There is still a lot of open space and active farmland in the county, but many residents have concerns. Read the Full Story >>
Many More New Homes In Jefferson County
For the first six months, the county’s Office of Impact Fees reports that 386 residential construction permits were issued. Read the Full Story >>
Developer Seeks Increased Housing Density For Harvest Hills Subdivision
Arcadia Development Co, developer of the Harvest Hills subdivision is requesting a zoning change from rural to residential growth, which would allow for higher density of housing on the site. Read the Full Story >>
Hold On Tight!
Some carnival rides don’t look too scary when they’re not moving. The one above is just a bunch of swings that go around in a circle like a merry-go-round, right? But wait till it picks up speed — then it’s time to hold on tight! Read the Full Story >>
New Housing Construction Up Again in Jefferson County
New Home Construction in Jefferson County continued at a rapid pace for the second year in a row in 2022 and shows no signs of slowing down in 2023. Read the Full Story >>
Housing Construction Grows In Jefferson County
When The Observer looked at Jefferson County home construction trends in May of 2021, the County’s Office of Impact Fees reported that 149 residential building permits had been issued countywide during the first three months of 2021. The numbers for the full year were even more impressive, as numbers for single family and townhouse construction were double the annual rate seen in the past decade. Read the Full Story >>
Housing Trends Indicate Growth In Jefferson County
Jefferson County has seen a steady pace of new home construction since the recovery after the 2008 recession. Permit numbers for the first few months of 2021 indicate a significant increase in construction may be coming. Read the Full Story >>