EVERYONE agrees that it would be great for Charleston to gain another upscale hotel to boost the capital city's economy and convention business.

When the proposal surfaced last fall, leaders of the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department expressed willingness to move their city-county clinic and headquarters to make a hotel site available.

But it's a shame that the matter has deteriorated into such hostility that Mayor Danny Jones is expelling the health board president and Charleston council has withheld half of the agency's city support.

Couldn't the hotel plan have been accomplished without so much rancor?

The saga began when Kelsey and Angela Harding, owners of Harding's Restaurant at Mink Shoals and two Sleep Inns, inquired about buying the health department site for a major hotel. They envisioned either a Hilton Garden Inn or a Hyatt Place, both attractive hostelries with modern electronic facilities.

Mayor Jones and County Commission President Kent Carper were delighted. Carper said it would bring $300,000 more annual tax revenue to the city and county. He said the city and county shouldn't sell the site for less than $3 million. Carper said he wanted a hasty move, not a "three- or four-year plan."

Dr. Steven Artz, head of the city-county Board of Health, said he'd welcome a move. "I like change," he commented. "This is a unique idea that will benefit the city." But he doubted that his agency could build a new home for $3 million. A sizable facility is needed, because the clinic serves thousands of patients and the agency's inspectors examine hundreds of restaurants, sewer systems and the like.

Health officials began searching new sites, and said they'd need more funds. They applied for an extra $3 million federal grant and sought help from Rep. Shelley Capito, R-W.Va.

When the proposal surfaced last fall, leaders of the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department expressed willingness to move their city-county clinic and headquarters to make a hotel site available.

But it's a shame that the matter has deteriorated into such hostility that Mayor Danny Jones is expelling the health board president and Charleston council has withheld half of the agency's city support.

Couldn't the hotel plan have been accomplished without so much rancor?

The saga began when Kelsey and Angela Harding, owners of Harding's Restaurant at Mink Shoals and two Sleep Inns, inquired about buying the health department site for a major hotel. They envisioned either a Hilton Garden Inn or a Hyatt Place, both attractive hostelries with modern electronic facilities.

Mayor Jones and County Commission President Kent Carper were delighted. Carper said it would bring $300,000 more annual tax revenue to the city and county. He said the city and county shouldn't sell the site for less than $3 million. Carper said he wanted a hasty move, not a "three- or four-year plan."

Dr. Steven Artz, head of the city-county Board of Health, said he'd welcome a move. "I like change," he commented. "This is a unique idea that will benefit the city." But he doubted that his agency could build a new home for $3 million. A sizable facility is needed, because the clinic serves thousands of patients and the agency's inspectors examine hundreds of restaurants, sewer systems and the like.

Health officials began searching new sites, and said they'd need more funds. They applied for an extra $3 million federal grant and sought help from Rep. Shelley Capito, R-W.Va.

After a bitter February meeting, Mayor Jones announced that Dr. Artz, a 21-year veteran of the Board of Health, was "getting in the way." The mayor said he won't reappoint the physician when his term ends June 30. Jones added:

"He degraded the hotel, called it low-end. He was being very caustic. He was disrespectful to me."

Health board members defended Artz. "It's totally false to say he's dragging his feet on this," Brenda Isaac said. "Nobody's dragging their feet. We're pursuing this aggressively.... This should not be a personal vendetta type of thing."

But Commissioner Carper supported the mayor, saying the health board "stalled the process down to the point there is no process."

Jones wants the agency to move to upper floors of a warehouse beside Appalachian Power Park. Health officials weren't thrilled by the prospect. The mayor said he'll send the city's finance chief to examine the agency's books.

Finally, Jones asked council temporarily to withhold half of the $200,000 the city gives the health department each year, to "get their attention" and "nudge them" to move quickly. Council members did so Thursday.

What a sad mess. A major improvement for Charleston shouldn't have produced such a tangle of hostility. We hope all parties take a deep breath, calm down, hold face-to-face meetings, and cooperate intelligently to resolve this unfortunate battle.