Village parcel sparks angry debate at board meeting

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By Krystle S. Morey

The status of a makeshift access road into the former Mettowee Fields subdivision off of North Street sparked angry debate at a Granville Village Board meeting Monday night.

Residents have used a 21.5-acre parcel (outlined in green) to access their homes since the 1990’s.

Several residents and a developer demanded answers about the maintenance of a large parcel that many of the subdivision residents cross to reach their homes.
At one point, Mayor Brian LaRose threatened to have police remove one of the more vocal residents.
The former developer of the parcel in question, 21.5 acres, installed an informal roadway that residents have utilized since the 1990s. Now it’s owned by Washington County, which foreclosed on the land, and it’s used as a right-of-way by the village to reach a village pumping station that serves the development.
The road, which crossed the private property for the last 27 years, has drawn countless grievances from the residents who use it. Because the parcel was privately owned, the village could not legally maintain it, village attorney Mike Martin said.

This is only a preview of the story published in the Granville Sentinel. To read the full story, pick up a print copy of this week’s paper at the newsstand or read it online here.