Katyesville resident asks Washington County to survey Mount Hebron Road after permit halted over claimed access issue

Amy Simmons, a lifelong resident of Main Street in Katyesville, told the Washington County Board of County Commissioners during the public comment period that her son and his wife purchased nearly 2 acres on Mount Hebron Road and have had a building permit delayed because the county has claimed the lot lacks public access. "Their building permit is currently pending approval solely due to a claim of no public access to their property," Simmons said.

Simmons said the property has about 300 feet of road frontage on Mount Hebron Road and is accessible from Main Street and Dog Street Road. She said Mount Hebron became partially impassable and was partially routed over a narrow privately owned section, which has left several lots effectively landlocked. Simmons formally requested "an immediate survey of Mount Hebron Road and a concerted effort to restore the original road along the deeded easement that currently exists and is recorded in the lands of record of Washington County, Maryland in roads and land records, LIBOR, OHW 1, folio 667." She said the work would assist six property owners affected by the situation.

Simmons said she and her family worked with county permit staff but were later told they needed to acquire a right of way from a neighboring property owner; she described attempts to resolve the issue with the neighbor as "unproductive and unreasonable correspondence." The transcript records no response from county staff or an official directive to initiate a survey during the portion of the meeting captured.

No formal motion or vote to survey Mount Hebron Road or to alter access rights appears in the transcript. Simmons asked the board to look into the issue and to rely on recorded deeded easements in county land records to resolve access for the affected properties.