JARRETT GOODMAN
Staff Writer
An entire tenth of a mile of Handle Street in Sequatchie is to receive road abandonment following a request approved by the Marion County Commission.
Cory Pickett, Road Superintendent for the Marion County Highway Department, requested to the council the road abandonment following ongoing and unpermitted disposal of trash within the end of the street beside private property connected to the road. He stated that both property owners who reside near the road have filled in the required paperwork needed for abandonment, allowing ownership of the portion of Handle Street.
“They intend on putting a gate up there to stop people from going back there because there’s mattresses and all kinds of stuff back there,” Pickett said. “Every time we go back there and fill a pothole, there’s always garbage back there.”
Pickett explained because of the portion of road now under ownership of both property owners, the Highway Department can no longer maintain the stretch of street, any road maintenance needed now falling under the property owner’s wings. Additionally, in order for the road abandonment to be made possible, he noted that both landowners had to be in agreement to split ownership of the road between one another.
“The only way I can abandon it is if both fill out a sheet and they’re in agreement,” Pickett said. “Say one wasn’t in agreement, I couldn’t do it.”
During the meeting, all members of the commission unanimously agreed to pass the road abandonment, allowing full ownership of the tenth portion of Handle Street towards the residents residing by it.