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Commissioners table Hazel Lane closure after residents cite safety, right-of-way questions
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Summary
At the April 6 meeting, residents described dangerous turns and truck use on Hazel Lane and requested the board not close the road without addressing intersection safety and right‑of‑way; the board voted to table the closure pending a staff report and cost estimate.
During a public hearing on April 6, several Wayne County residents and business owners urged commissioners to reconsider a proposal to close and abandon Hazel Lane, describing tight turns, limited sight lines, heavy truck use and a lack of street lighting near Manning Town that create safety risks.
A resident who identified herself as Caroline said drivers sometimes turn onto Hazel Lane to avoid a dangerous left off Manning Town Road near Broadhurst, and another resident described truck and logging traffic that make turning difficult. Commissioners acknowledged long local use, the requests of property owners and competing safety concerns. One commissioner said the stretch is in his district and that he was “torn between” honoring landowners and protecting public safety.
Commissioners asked staff to research right‑of‑way ownership, intersection engineering needs and cost estimates. After discussion a commissioner moved to table the closure “until we get further information on making the correction at the turn from Broadhurst to Manning Town Road,” and the board voted to table the item until the next meeting. The chair asked staff to provide requested information by the Monday before the next meeting at 5:00 p.m.
The transcript records multiple residents’ accounts of near‑collisions and repeated concern about heavy vehicle use and muddy conditions on the alternate route; commissioners noted possible signage and past restrictions listing “no trucks,” but also said logistical and cost questions (including possible requirement to improve or acquire rights on adjacent paved approaches) must be resolved before any final decision.
