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Oak Ridge council declines developer request to close Ashford trail easement, approves pause on development
Summary
After a two-hour public hearing and competing legal and planning arguments, the Town of Oak Ridge council voted down a motion to remove an 8-foot public trail easement in the Ashford subdivision and instead approved an 17-month pause on any development of the easement while stakeholders pursue alternatives.
The Town of Oak Ridge on June 6 declined a request by property owners to remove an 8-foot public trail easement running through the Ashford subdivision and instead directed staff and stakeholders to pause development of the easement for 17 months with a check-in at 12 months.
A packed public hearing drew about 20 people to speak for and against the easement. Supporters of removing the easement argued it was never legally accepted by the town and that the trail alignment intrudes on existing backyards; opponents and the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) committee said the easement is a valuable local connection and urged council to keep it while an alternative alignment is developed.
The matter surfaced in detail during public testimony and legal argument. Patrick Haywood, an attorney who addressed the council, argued the easement had been rescinded before the local government ever formally accepted it…
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