County To Move Forward On Partial Road Abandonment

Stephens County will begin the abandonment process for part of Camp Mikell Road.

On Tuesday, Stephens County Commissioners voted unanimously to authorize staff to begin moving forward with the road abandonment process for part of Camp Mikell Road that begins at a creek that does not have a bridge over it and continues onto Forest Service property.

Stephens County Administrator Phyllis Ayers said there are several reasons that the county wants to look at abandoning just that section of the road.

First, Ayers said that getting the equipment across the creek to maintain the road is very difficult without a bridge there to cross the creek.

According to Ayers, it has been about three years since equipment has crossed that creek in order to maintain that section of the road.

Also, she said that even if the equipment is able to get across the creek, it is hard to turn the equipment around on the other side of the creek.

County commissioners previously discussed the matter at their last meeting, but wanted to consider it further before making a decision.

Ayers said that since the last meeting, she and Commissioner Debbie Whitlock met with the one homeowner who lives on the section of road that the county is looking at abandoning.

“He is now not opposed to this,” said Ayers of the homeowner. “He is going to work out something with the Forest Service.”

Ayers went on to say that Tuesday’s decision is not the last step in the process, but just a first one.

“We have to have public hearings,” said Ayers, calling it a first step in the process.

There is no word on how long the entire abandonment process will take.