Harpers Ferry News and Updates

2023 Harpers Ferry Municipal Elections

Updated 29 January 2023

Harpers Ferry will hold its municipal elections for Mayor, Recorder, and five regular Council members on Tuesday, 13 June 2023. All residents who are interested in seeking office were required to file a Candidate's Certificate of Announcement during the period ending 27 January 2023 or postmarked on or before 28 January 2023. Read more.

Mask mandate reinstated in National Historical Park

26 December 2022

Based on updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local public health authorities, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park has reinstated a mask mandate inside buildings and on shuttle buses, regardless of vaccination status. Visit the Park's Current Conditions page for further information.

Hill Top House Hotel petitions for changes in corrective deed

During a special meeting of the Town Council on 11 August 2022, the owners of the Hill Top House Hotel properties petitioned for several changes to the street-use agreement made between the Town and SWaN Investors in early 2021. These changes are to be documented in a corrective deed to the former street and paper street rights-of-way that the Town sold to SWaN in exchange for the agreements. The proposed changes, as presented to the Town Council at the special meeting, are described in the following documents:

• Hill Top House Hotel Street-Use Agreement Amendments
• Requests for Change in Corrective Deed to HF / HTHH Street-Use Agreement

One additional change was requested by the Town Council. That change has been added to a corrective deed document by the attorneys representing both the Town and the Hotel.

First reading of Ordinance 2022-04, which contains the text of the corrective and amended deed, was approved by the Town Council on 12 December 2022. A public hearing on the ordinance, followed by consideration of second and final reading for approval, is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Monday, 9 January 2023.

• Ordinance 2022-04 Corrective and Amended Deed
• Corrective and Amended Deed
• Notice of Public Hearing

In-person public meetings to resume

Updated 8 December 2022

The regular Town Council meeting scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Monday, 10 October 2022 will take place in the Fellowship Hall at Camp Hill-Wesley United Methodist Church, located at 645 Washington Street. The public is invited to attend as we attempt to transition back to “normal” meeting protocols.

HTHH development incentives memo released

Steptoe & Johnson PLLC, representatives for SWaN Hill Top House LLC ("SWaN"), has issued a memorandum summarizing the development incentive programs with which SWaN is requesting the assistance of the Jefferson County Commission. These programs include a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District and an Economic Opportunity Development District. More information can be found in the memorandum.

New ordinances approved by Town Council

On 24 March 2022, the Town Council approved two new ordinances.

Ordinance 2022-01 addresses fences, construction fences, and retaining walls. Work on this ordinance began with the Planning Commission in 2016. After several years of continued deliberation, input, and improvements from the Town Council, Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals, and the Ordinance Review Committee, among others, the ordinance was finally approved by the Council and signed by the Mayor and Recorder with immediate effect.

Ordinance 2022-02 concerns vacant and uninhabitable vacant structures. This ordinance was proposed by Mayor Greg Vaughn and draws from similar ordinances in other West Virginia municipalities. After approval by the Town Council, this ordinance was also signed by the Mayor and Recorder with immediate effect.

Both ordinances will be entered into the Codified Ordinance books within 90 days, in compliance with official procedure; however, both ordinances are now enforceable.

Information on paid parking in Harpers Ferry

Harpers Ferry has instituted three paid parking zones to improve safety and better regulate the very limited parking within the Corporation. Two of the zones, 7510 and 7520, are on Washington Street (Alt. U.S. 340). The third is on Potomac Street in Lower Town. The cost for parking is $2.00 per hour in Zones 7510 and 7520, and $3.00 per hour in Zone 7515. Parking may be purchased in half-hour segments. Payment may be made using the Parkmobile cell phone app. To use Parkmobile, open the app, enter zone number, select amount of time desired, and pay by major credit card or PayPal. Visitors may find it easier to download the app to their cell phones before visiting Harpers Ferry to simplify their parking experience at the following link: http://us.parkmobile.com/mobile-apps.

Paid parking is strictly enforced in all zones between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Sunday through Saturday. Violators may be fined and / or towed. Parking is free in all paid parking zones after 6:00 p.m. and before 8:00 a.m. Sunday through Saturday.

All side streets within the Corporation of Harpers Ferry are parking by residential permit only. Violators may be fined and / or towed. Permits for residents and their guests may be purchased at Town Hall.

Harpers Ferry Water Works customers can pay online.  To learn more, click here.

List of businesses licensed in Harpers Ferry

The Corporation maintains a list of operators and companies licensed to perform business in Harpers Ferry. To review the list, click here.