Pope County justices discuss taking over Cove Landing roads; judge says court must pass exception ordinance and fund repairs

Pope County Court members on a November 2025 agenda item heard requests to take additional streets in the Cove Landing subdivision into the county road system, with residents and engineers urging action and the county judge saying the court must first pass a specific acceptance-and-exception ordinance and provide funding.

Justice David Ivy placed the request on the court agenda and said he was making a formal plea on behalf of constituents: "I'm asking as a formal request that we go ahead and bring those roads into the county," he told the court.

Residents and technical witnesses described the subdivision's history and the limits of its homeowners association. Dave Garza, who gave a historical overview, said phases of the development were previously inspected to city standards and that the change in lot sizes and curb-and-gutter construction led to confusion about responsibility. Engineer Greg Long, who said he represents the first phase and is a resident, told the court that the HOA’s current assessments…