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Residents press Gadsden County on Woodbury Road condition; county says legal notices and easements needed before work
Summary
At the May 6 meeting residents urged faster action on Woodbury Road, a private road in poor condition. County staff said legal notices and property easements are required before crews may perform permanent work; interim scraping may be possible after notices.
GADSDEN COUNTY, Fla. — Residents from the Woodbury Road area told the Gadsden County Board of County Commissioners on May 6 that the road’s condition — deep ditches, dust and mud — is creating safety and access problems for drivers, school buses and pedestrians.
“People have been paying for this road for years,” resident Gary Murray said. “I paid for this road to be scraped a million times. My children and church members walk this road. It don’t make any sense. This is America.”
County staff said the road remains private in places and the county cannot legally perform permanent work until property owners sign easement deeds or the county follows required legal procedures.
“We have to send out notices,” Public Works Director Young told the board. “It’s a legal requirement that every resident has the right to be noticed and comment. Before the county can take the next step, we have to send those notices.”
Young said he had been looped into the issue and expected notices to go out within about 30 days; once notice periods conclude, road-and-bridge crews can proceed with maintenance and paving as appropriate. The county attorney and commissioners explained several past cases where private-road conversions required surveys and property-owner signoffs.
Commissioners and residents discussed interim help, including scraping and public-safety exceptions. One commissioner reminded the board of a prior case where public safety risk (an elderly resident unable to be reached) justified targeted county action to restore emergency access. The county legal staff said similar exceptions are possible but depend on documented emergency access concerns and required legal steps.
Why it matters
Woodbury Road affects local safety and quality of life for residents, and the item highlights the legal limits of county authority on private roads. Without easements or legal acquisition of right-of-way, the county said it cannot permanently alter privately owned land.
What happens next
County staff said they will: send additional legal notices; provide an update to Mr. Murray and other residents; and, if necessary, pursue the formal survey and deed steps required to convert private road segments to public right-of-way. Commissioners asked staff to arrange field visits and follow up within two weeks to move the process along.
Sources
Resident testimony at public comment (Gary Murray); comments by Public Works Director Young and county attorney during May 6 meeting.
