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Haralson County holds public hearing on proposed road abandonment as residents raise rezoning and free-speech concerns
Summary
Haralson County staff described a landowner request to abandon a portion of road within a 144-acre parcel; residents used public comment to press the board on rezoning precedent and First Amendment transparency, but no final abandonment decision is recorded in the transcript.
Haralson County opened a public hearing on a request to abandon part of a roadway that county staff said lies inside a privately owned 144-acre tract, and residents used the comment period to warn that rezoning and restrictions on speech could have wider consequences.
A Public Works representative told the board the county had been approached by the landowners (identified in the transcript as “A board's Hamburger LLC”), who own parcel ID 0015008 and asked the county to legally abandon the segment. The representative said the tract "totally encompasses the portion of the road" and that the road "doesn't serve anybody," noting a gate prevents county access past the property line. The representative said the underlying agreement dated to 1990.
The presentation matters because abandonment, if approved, would transfer control of that segment away from public maintenance and could affect future development and access. A resident speaker urged the board to consider zoning consistency, saying rezoning the parcel as light industrial while it sits amid heavier industrial uses could set a precedent that "would cause some irrevocable damage to our county." The resident added: "I am not trying to demonize or any other company," and asked the board to weigh the county comprehensive plan before acting.
A second commenter focused on First Amendment protections and transparency, asking whether board members had signed nondisclosure agreements and warning that limiting speech could expose the county to federal civil lawsuits. The commenter cited federal statutes and said, "All speech 1st amendment protected up to and including swearing and yelling," and requested notification from the board about meetings with Tallapoosa city officials and events at the Davis Center.
The transcript records routine approvals — the board approved past minutes and the meeting agenda by voice/gesture — and staff presenting the road-abandonment request during the hearing. The record in the transcript does not include a formal vote or final decision on abandoning the road segment; the meeting ended after a motion to adjourn carried.
Officials and next steps: The Public Works representative described the scope of the landowner request and the historical easement; no formal adoption or ordinance to abandon the road was recorded in the available transcript. The county may take additional procedural steps (notice, legal review, or a formal vote) before any abandonment is finalized.
