Marion County commissioners unanimously approve abandonment of Carriage Trail Tract A

The Marion County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to adopt a resolution closing and abandoning Tract A of the Carriage Trail plat (Plat Book 1001, Page 138) during a public hearing on the board’s agenda.

County engineer Steven Cahoon told the board the tract had been identified in the original plat as a conservation and future right-of-way easement and that, if the board approved the abrogation, "there would be a full abandonment, including the right of way and the conservation area," while "any utility easements that remain on that property would still remain." Cahoon said he expects the property appraiser to split the abandoned tract back to the adjacent parcel owners along existing parcel lines.

Several neighbors spoke in support. Kevin Vickers of Carriage Trail said residents appreciated the administrators' and the Development Review Committee's prior work on the item and asked the board to 'wrap this up.' Clay Pedersen, secretary of the local homeowners association, said the HOA supported the action and thanked the commission for its service.

Board members asked staff to confirm that the abrogation would not cut off legal access for any adjoining property. The county engineer said the board's earlier review of easements found that necessary access is preserved; during discussion chair and staff reiterated that identified access easements would remain intact.

The motion to approve the abrogation was made and seconded in open session and passed by unanimous voice vote. The board did not change utility easements or other recorded rights as part of the action, and staff said any final parcel division would be determined administratively by the property appraiser.

Next steps: administration will coordinate with the property appraiser to complete the legal reversion of the tract to adjacent owners and record the abandonment documents. No further board votes were recorded on the item at this meeting.