Haywood County commissioners voted Aug. 18 to support an NCDOT request to abandon a portion of SR 1584, known locally as Livestock Market Road, to accommodate a developer’s roadway reconfiguration.

County staff explained the portion under consideration runs past the McDonald's off Champion Drive and then into a developer-owned parcel. The developer purchased all parcels at the road's end and plans to shorten the state-maintained segment; interior roads would become Town of Canton public roads once constructed and accepted. As described to the board, DOT maintenance would end at a new terminus and businesses will continue to access state-maintained roads.

When asked, staff said the closure will not remove access for residences: the developer owns the properties beyond the new terminus and has joined other property owners in the petition to close the road. The board said the road has historical ties to the county’s livestock market but accepted staff’s finding that no residences will be adversely affected.

The board approved the resolution unanimously and will convey the county's recommendation to NCDOT as part of the statutory road-closure process.