Administration and Finance Committee forwards Huntington property purchase ordinance amid landslide concerns
March 09, 2026 | Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia
This article was created by AI summarizing key points discussed. AI makes mistakes, so for full details and context, please refer to the video of the full meeting. Please report any errors so we can fix them. Report an error »
On March 5 the Administration and Finance Committee voted to forward ordinance 2026-007 to the full Huntington City Council with a favorable recommendation, a step that would authorize the mayor to purchase the house at 3305 4th Avenue from Richard Smith because of an adjacent landslide.
The committee was presented with three options to address the slope failure: fully repairing the slide (estimated at $350,000 to $400,000), purchasing and demolishing the home and keeping the 3300 block of 5th Avenue closed, or purchasing and demolishing the home and building a buttress to stabilize the bank and reopen the road (estimated $150,000 to $175,000). The presenter said the city contracts geotechnical services through Tarragon Corporation and recommended the buttress option as the most cost-effective.
"Those options are fix the landslide at a potential cost of $350,000 to $400,000," the presenter said. "[Or] purchase and demolish the home and design a buttress to stabilize the bank and reopen the 3300 block of 5th Avenue at an approximate cost of $150,000 to $175,000." The transcript later spells the geotechnical firm name as "Teradon;" the presenter initially used "Tarragon Corporation."
Committee members asked whether engineering fixes such as pilings were feasible and whether adjacent properties could be affected. The presenter said drilling pilings could damage the homeowner’s property given how close the house sits to the slipped bank, that the bank would eventually overtake the home if left unaddressed, and that the planned stabilization is intended to prevent further road sliding and reduce disruptions for residents toward 40th Street.
Funds for the project were described as available in the public works street construction budget. After questions, a committee member moved to forward the ordinance to full council with a favorable recommendation; the committee voiced aye and the chair announced the item would proceed to full council with a favorable recommendation. The chair then asked Stacy to sponsor the ordinance, and Stacy agreed.
The ordinance will next appear before the full Huntington City Council for final consideration.
The committee was presented with three options to address the slope failure: fully repairing the slide (estimated at $350,000 to $400,000), purchasing and demolishing the home and keeping the 3300 block of 5th Avenue closed, or purchasing and demolishing the home and building a buttress to stabilize the bank and reopen the road (estimated $150,000 to $175,000). The presenter said the city contracts geotechnical services through Tarragon Corporation and recommended the buttress option as the most cost-effective.
"Those options are fix the landslide at a potential cost of $350,000 to $400,000," the presenter said. "[Or] purchase and demolish the home and design a buttress to stabilize the bank and reopen the 3300 block of 5th Avenue at an approximate cost of $150,000 to $175,000." The transcript later spells the geotechnical firm name as "Teradon;" the presenter initially used "Tarragon Corporation."
Committee members asked whether engineering fixes such as pilings were feasible and whether adjacent properties could be affected. The presenter said drilling pilings could damage the homeowner’s property given how close the house sits to the slipped bank, that the bank would eventually overtake the home if left unaddressed, and that the planned stabilization is intended to prevent further road sliding and reduce disruptions for residents toward 40th Street.
Funds for the project were described as available in the public works street construction budget. After questions, a committee member moved to forward the ordinance to full council with a favorable recommendation; the committee voiced aye and the chair announced the item would proceed to full council with a favorable recommendation. The chair then asked Stacy to sponsor the ordinance, and Stacy agreed.
The ordinance will next appear before the full Huntington City Council for final consideration.
View the Full Meeting & All Its Details
This article offers just a summary. Unlock complete video, transcripts, and insights as a Founder Member.
✓
Watch full, unedited meeting videos
✓
Search every word spoken in unlimited transcripts
✓
AI summaries & real-time alerts (all government levels)
✓
Permanent access to expanding government content
30-day money-back guarantee
