Clifton Forge, VA (Aug. 21, 2025)— It was a B.A.D. night for Karen Weber, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and Brownfields Coordinator. Weber gave a near hour-long presentation on Thursday evening during the August Community Gathering meeting to discuss the B.A.D. (Brownfield, Asbestos, Dilapidated) Housing Inventory Program that got its start in West Virginia.
Last month, town manager Chuck Unroe explained that Weber "...is our local representative for the DEQ [Department of Environmental Quality] [who] launched a pilot program in Virginia... and she felt that Clifton Forge would be a good fit for the program..." The purpose of the program is to revitalize and rebuild structures which are still salvageable or tear down the ones which are not.
One such example given by Weber tonight was a bowling alley she frequented as a teenager, sharing memories of how her fellow high schoolers would kiss their boyfriends/girlfriends in the back room. However, the structure would eventually become vacant, slowly deteriorating until the roof caved in through the floor beneath.
Yet, there were plenty of folks who reminisced about the building the same way as she, "... and people would feel disappointed every time they'd pass by," Weber noted. Ultimately, the future of the building came down to a simple vote: tear it down and start fresh or restore it to its former glory. Once numbers were crunched, the decision was clear. It would cost far less money to tear it down and so, that old bowling alley truly did become a thing of the past. However, with a fresh new piece of land, a new idea was presented to build a Farmer's Market in its place and so, that is the future of Weber's old bowling alley.
Karen Weber —who joined VDEQ in 2022, worked as an environmental and engineering consultant for 19 years, and holds a bachelor's in Geoscience and master's in education— seemed hopeful she could use her past experience and expertise to shape Clifton Forge the same way she has in other areas.
The Alleghany Journal will have snippets of Thursday night's Community Gathering up soon on our Facebook page and YouTube channel. |  | Chuck Unroe was on-hand to offer a few town updates, such as the immediate success of the EV charging station downtown, Brad Balser's new position as PMO (Property Maintenance Official) following his certification, and the West Ridgeway Paving Project that is now underway.
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