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Board to research legal, property impacts of proposed Rollins‑Davis road closure
Summary
A property owner asked the board to consider closing a narrow dirt road that has become a GPS cut‑through; board members said they will contact the three adjoining property owners, estimate fiscal impact and research the legal process before taking action.
Property owners asked the Highland Town Board on July 9 to consider permanently closing a narrow, historic dirt road behind the Rollins and Davis properties after increasing GPS‑driven through traffic created safety and access problems.
Board members said they need to contact three adjoining landowners for consent or comment, determine the fiscal impact on town road inventory (one board member estimated a maintenance saving of roughly $500 depending on closure point) and examine whether the process would constitute a gift of public property or require specific legal steps. Town counsel said converting a public road to private use raises constitutional and procedural issues and recommended researching precedent; temporary road closures are possible but permanent conversion would require additional legal review.
Highway staff said the road is narrow, unpaved and historically has been maintained by the town; they noted plowing and maintenance history and recommended mapping property lines and access before any final decision. The board did not vote on a road closure and asked staff to reach out to property owners and return with research and a cost estimate for the next meeting.
Board members emphasized they will not remove a road from the town inventory without due diligence and owner notice, and that state or county property rights may also affect any final outcome.
