County Denies Road Acceptance Request

Stephens County Commissioners deny a request to bring a private drive into the county road maintenance system at this time.

On Tuesday, the Stephens County Commission voted unanimously to deny at this time a request to put Sunshine Ridge Drive onto the county road maintenance system.

Sunshine Ridge Drive is located off of Prather Bridge Road, near Lake Hartwell and the Tugaloo River.

Realtor Bob Troup brought the proposal before the county commission.

He said he has an investor interested in a large tract of land on Sunshine Ridge Drive and making it a county road would benefit that possibility, as well as help those who already live on the road.

“If that was a county road, then all of the people in there would have a better opportunity to develop the property,” said Troup. “If it were developed, it would result in more tax dollars. It was built to county specifications.”

County Commissioner Dean Scarborough said he cannot support taking the road in at this time.

He said the road is not in a condition to be accepted.

“That road is in really, really bad shape,” said Scarborough. “It is been left unattended for a long, long time and it is going to cost a lot. It is going to be hard without some money being put in from a developer or something before I feel like we should take it.”

County officials did not have an estimate for what it would take to bring the road up to a more acceptable condition.

The commission voted unanimously to deny the request at the present time until a new plan could be brought forth as to how that road could be brought up to an acceptable standard to be put on to the county road maintenance system.

Troup said he would take that proposal back to his investor for consideration.