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Avery County tables Old Yonahlossee Road closure after public concerns about access
Summary
After a public hearing, the Avery County Board of Commissioners voted to table a proposed closure of part of Old Yonahlossee Road to allow staff to negotiate language with Linville Resorts that would preserve emergency access and use by the Grandfather Highland Games.
The Avery County Board of Commissioners opened a public hearing on May 5 to consider closing a segment of Old Yonahlossee Road (NCSR 1510) and, after hearing comments from landowners and event organizers, voted to table the resolution while staff negotiate access language with Linville Resorts.
County Attorney Michaelle Poore explained the process for closing a road under North Carolina Department of Transportation rules and said the board must be satisfied the closure would not be detrimental to the public interest or deprive nearby property owners of reasonable ingress and egress. Several members of the public and affected organizations spoke during the hearing.
Janna Avery, representing Linville Resorts, told the board Linville Resorts "fully intended to allow Grandfather Highland Games to use the road and also emergency vehicles." Some residents raised concerns about pedestrian access: Frank Wilson said he had seen posted signs and objected if the closure prevented hiking or dog walking, calling the segment "a nice place to walk." Steve Quillen, president of the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, said he supported the closing but asked that language from the prior closure allowing the Games to use the road be carried forward.
Commissioner Dennis Aldridge asked whether the prior arrangement was a private agreement between Linville Resorts and the Highland Games; County Attorney Poore said the county’s decision is whether to close the road and that any negotiated access language could be handled by the county manager without another public hearing. The board then voted unanimously to table the resolution until more information and an agreement are obtained.
What happens next: County staff will initiate dialogue with Linville Resorts to clarify gates, emergency access and language preserving the Highland Games’ use; no final closure was adopted at the May 5 meeting.
