February 26th, 2015 by WCBC Radio

The city of Cumberland is moving forward with implementing the recommendations contained within the economic development strategic plan recently adopted by the council. The priority, as is the case with any economic development plan, is attracting new businesses to the region although the challenges are many. Locally, in the past, new ventures and some new entities have been greeted with opposition from a small segment of the community even though they could prove beneficial to the area. Recent examples include a number of groups opposed to seeing the fracking industry take root in Allegany County; as well as some very vocal opposition to plans to develop the Footer Dye Works building into a commercial development.  The city’s Economic Development Coordinator Shawn Hersberger said Cumberland is no different from any other community in that regard as there is always going to be some opposition, no matter what the project…