Landowners and people who use an upper portion of Turniptown Road are at odds about Gilmer County abandoning the road.
According to comments, the portion being discussed runs from the Hemlock’s gate to the Lanning Family Cemetery, where the road ends.
David Bowman said the road runs through private land on both sides and terminates in the Lanning Family Cemetery. He was asking for the road to be abandoned to prevent trespassing on his property.
Several people spoke in opposition to the abandonment. They said the road has been used for years to access forest service land. They said the only way to access the forest service area, if the road was abandoned, would be a five or six hour hike.
Gilmer County Chair Charlie Paris said he has received a large amount of emails and calls in opposition to abandoning the road.
“Regardless of what the board decides, the law regarding trespass will not change,” Bowman said. “It doesn’t matter how many people drive up and down that section of road, if they get out of their car and walk on to private land, they are trespassing and subject to prosecution.”
He said the issue people have is with the Forest Service which does not provide access.
Gilmer County Attorney David Clark said the road terminates in the family cemetery and people have to cross private property to get to public land.
Commissioners tabled the issue until March in order to gather more information.
County Pool
Commissioners were told the county pool has been completed, and it will be ready for opening day on May 1.
Bathrooms and the surrounding landscaping and decking is still under construction. When this work is completed, the fencing will be addressed.
Other business
﹣ Commissioners are in the final stages of tweaking the short-term rental ordinance. They are planning to have a work session in the future before final approval.
﹣ Commissioners plan to move ahead with the study of impact fees in the county. Paris said something must be done to help pay for additional services required by large developments.
﹣ Commissioners are beginning to work on creating the committee to oversee the comprehensive plan for the cities and county.