GASTON COUNTY, Jan. 14, 2025 — The Gaston County Board of Supervisors opened a public hearing on Jan. 14 to consider reclassifying a roughly 0.8-mile segment south of North 67th Avenue East near Minions Street and closed the hearing the same day without adopting a maintenance-change resolution.

County staff described the parcel as owned largely by one property owner and recommended reclassifying the road to a Level B maintenance classification while staff verifies utilities in the corridor. "Basically, it means that we don't put rock on the road, and we blade it once a year. Access is still open, so it's not gated," said Mike, a county staff member who explained the classification differences. He added that Level C classification would require gating and must run from intersection to intersection under county code.

The recommendation followed a conversation staff had with Skyler Morse, who the clerk described as a property trustee for the land lining the road. Morse's primary concern, staff said, was that replacing the existing bridge at Alley Creek not be required if the classification changed. Staff told Morse and the board that access remains available from east and west and that reclassification alone does not obligate the county to replace the bridge.

Board members discussed alternatives including vacating the right-of-way. Staff said vacating the stretch could be considered later but only after they locate utility owners and confirm whether utilities occupy the corridor. "We can by rights also consider vacating the stretch of right of way ... however, at this time we're not prepared to do that because we have to kind of figure out what we have for utilities in that corridor," Mike said.

Supervisors asked procedural questions about whether the county could move directly from a Level B to a Level C road and were told that county code requires Level C reclassifications to extend from intersection to intersection, not by partial segments. The meeting record shows signs and dead-end markings would be placed if the road is reclassified to Level B; staff also said barricades currently block the bridge.

The board conducted the public hearing and then closed it. Because the board decided to hold the item for its required second and third hearings (several supervisors expressed a preference to allow any absent owners another opportunity to comment), no final resolution to change maintenance levels was adopted at the Jan. 14 meeting.

Next steps identified by staff include a utility-rights review, additional outreach to property owners (including the trustee Skyler Morse), and returning to the board at a later date if vacating or reclassification is pursued.