Residents split at public hearing over proposed abandonment of Walker Ducker Station Road; county to take formal action in upcoming meeting

The Dougherty County Board of Commissioners held a public hearing on May 12 on a request to permanently close and abandon an unimproved roughly 1.5-mile portion of Walker Ducker Station Road between Flowing Well Road and Mud Creek Road in the unincorporated county.

County Attorney Alice Shalisholle opened the discussion and said the county had received a formal request earlier in the year and that Public Works had told staff the department “no longer has a use for the road” and would welcome relief from maintenance obligations. Shalisholle said the county had contacted adjacent property owners and published legal notice; she recommended the board receive public input before the scheduled May 2025 regular meeting for a formal action.

Speakers at the hearing split. Darryl Robinson, a nearby resident, urged the board not to abandon the road, saying it “still serves a clear public purpose,” provides a direct connection between Mud Creek and Flowing Well roads, is used to access businesses including Pretoria Fields farm/brewery, and remains passable after recent rain. Robinson asked the board to delay any decision for a usage study and wider public outreach.

Speakers supporting closure included Scott Price, who manages farmland adjacent to the corridor, and pecan-operation representatives Michael Hamilton and Mitch Bolger. They described recurring illegal dumping, shooting and trespass on the dirt road, and safety risks to workers and farm crews during hunting season. Price noted cameras recorded only two to three vehicles per day and said closing the road would reduce county maintenance costs.

Mark Masters, representing his mother (the only residence on the section), said the family generally supports closure but asked the commission to include a condition preserving county maintenance of about 740 feet of Walker Ducker Station Road adjacent to his mother’s driveway so she may continue to use the existing entrance without changing address or access. Masters said the commission previously allocated funding to gravel that portion and asked that be spared abandonment.

County staff and counsel explained legal effects if the county abandons the road: based on a limited title review the county likely holds only an easement for the road surface rather than fee title, and abandonment would revert ownership and maintenance responsibilities to adjacent private landowners. County staff said they had contacted the railroad company that owns adjoining land and that the railroad raised no objection.

Commissioners asked about emergency access, alternate routings and the presence of any bridges or railroad crossings; staff said emergency responders generally do not use the unimproved segment and that adjacent paved connections remain. Commissioners also asked staff to verify title and to provide a clear map and proposed legal language should the board take formal action in the May regular meeting.

The public hearing closed with the board taking no immediate vote; Shalisholle said formal action is scheduled for the county’s May regular meeting and staff will include title information, recommended language for any conditional closure, and any relevant maps and contact information for proposed gatekeepers.

Speakers who participated in the record included residents and property operators who live, farm or run businesses adjacent to the affected road; several asked that any closure include a locked gate and specified landowners to maintain access. Commissioners instructed staff to return the matter to the regular meeting with the requested legal and logistics details.