ELIZABETHTON — After seeing a lot of county roads damaged by Hurricane Helene back in September, the Carter County Highway Department has taken advantage of current weather and other conditions for a lot of road resurfacing during the month of April and the first part of May.
Highway Superintendent Shannon Burchett reported the progress on Monday night to the Highway Committee of the Carter County Commission.
Burchett said the resurfacing and paving projects included Becca Circle, Hidden Valley Road, Jim Elliott Road, Knob Hill Road, Poplar Grove Road, Quail Ridge Road, Quail Run, Quail Run Court and Ridgefield Road.
Burchett told the committee that there has also been a lot accomplished with the state aid project in the sections of Hampton that had been flooded. This included resurfacing First Avenue.
Two of the four bridges on Heaton Creek that needed to be repaired have now been completed. Burchett said that means there are now two remaining bridges in Heaton Creek that need repairs.
In addition to all of these road repairs, Burchett said crews have been out doing the work that is commonly accomplished during this time of the year. That includes pothole patching, mowing grass and mowing brush.
There was also a discussion about a developer’s request to close an alleyway at Roan Mountain Pharmacy which was designated on the deeds but had never been built or developed.
Carter County Attorney Josh Hardin told the committee that the unopened alleyway had been indicated on the plans drawn up back before there was a planning commission for the county. He said developers in that time sometimes just indicated where a road might one day be built, but nothing had ever been done.
“It is not a county road,†Hardin told the committee. “The county does not have an interest in it. He said the normal procedure in such cases is for the property owner requesting that an undeveloped alleyway to be closed should check with adjoining property owners to determine whether anyone had any objections to closing the never-developed road.â€
The committee adjourned and reconvened as the Landfill Committee of the Carter County Commission. There was a discussion on the current procedures to ensure that businesses using the landfill were paying for its services on a monthly basis.
Attorney Hardin was instructed to get with interim Landfill Manager Chris Schuettler to update a landfill policy to require businesses using the landfill to pay monthly bills on a regular basis.
