Busy Bee infrastructure construction proceeds despite property-line survey dispute; board advises caution

County engineers and project staff told commissioners the Busy Bee infrastructure and a separate pilot project in Ponce de Leon are under construction with permitting and bids in process; however, a boundary dispute with an adjacent property owner arose when a private survey and the county survey disagree about the location of the property line.

Engineer Melvin (surname not explicit in the transcript) told the board he had submitted permits for the Busy Bee infrastructure and was preparing bid advertisements; construction was set to open bids in November and begin construction in January with a 300-day contract for the public infrastructure. During the pilot project work in Ponce de Leon, a neighboring property owner (identified in the transcript as Mr. Lobano) raised an objection: his survey shows a property line that would place the county right-of-way or needed corner clip partly on his asphalt parking area.

County staff said their surveyor’s boundary measurements place the right-of-way differently; staff reported they had performed a boundary survey and stood behind their measurements. Melvin told the board that options included (1) continuing with the current design and potentially removing a corner of the neighbor’s paved area (which could prompt a legal response and a work stoppage), (2) negotiating a purchase of a small corner clip or easement from the property owner, or (3) shifting the road alignment to keep construction off disputed land and later resolving the line via eminent domain or court action — noting the shift could create a substandard turning radius for heavy vehicles.

The property owner communicated to staff that he would be represented by his realtor or otherwise preferred not to negotiate directly with staff; he told staff he expected compensation for any right-of-way take. Commissioners emphasized the project’s importance and the county’s prior investments; several commissioners urged staff to continue construction while documenting the issue and attempting a meeting with the owner or his representative to reach a practical, negotiated outcome rather than immediate litigation. The board did not pause work; commissioners said the county’s survey and permits supported moving forward and that staff should be prepared for a potential legal claim and pursue a negotiated purchase if necessary.

Ending: The engineering and road work will continue under the current design while staff pursues follow-up steps (third-party survey if needed, outreach to the property owner/realtor, or negotiated corner-purchase discussions) and prepares for possible legal steps if a dispute escalates.