Residents thankful, road will stay open

By John M. Ayers

The Gilchrist County Commission listened to residents of the Jennings Lake community and people who attend the Jennings Lake Seventh Day Adventist Church ask that portions of SW 22nd Court and SW 45th Street not be closed.
Pastor Anthony Crawford told the commissioners that the road is used by people going to the Jennings Lake Church and cemetery, and asked that the road not be closed.
A large group of residents who use this road had circulated a petition to have the road remain open. The petition had an estimated 75 signatures from Gilchrist County residents who didn’t want the road closed.
Commissioner Kenrick Thomas announced that attorney John McPherson had recommended Thomas abstain from being involved in this vote.
Commissioner Thomas reported that he is employed with Piedmont Farms and they are one of the property owners that are identified on the application to close the roads.
Jackie Barron, one of three Barron brothers that signed the application to close the road, told the board that his brother Sandy was not in attendance at Monday’s meeting.
“He is the one that wanted the road closed to reduce traffic in the area; I don’t have a dog in this fight,” Barron said.
Many of the commissioners received communication from county residents and property owners involving this issue. The Jennings Lake residents who were against the closing of the road had a good attendance sitting in the county commission meeting.
Robert Gay, a resident of Gilchrist County, asked the board if the road is closed and high water floods the main route coming into the area from US 129, what will be an alternate route of travel for people living in this area.
Commissioner Sharon Langford said, “With this many people against the closing of these roads, I’m not going to be in favor of closing them.”
Commission Chairman Randy Durden asked the commission what the pleasure of the board was. The commissioners then decided that if they took no action, the application to close the road would fail.
The audience was pleased when the board ultimately took no action on this application.