Ivy Mountain Connector dispute leaves Habersham County weighing road access against property concerns

Habersham County had not decided whether to continue maintaining or consider paving Ivy Mountain Connector after Lachelle Worley told county commissioners on Feb. 19, 2024, that road work was eroding dirt beneath her fence line. County staff responded that they were reviewing the road’s access, right-of-way and maintenance questions before returning to the commission with options.

The disagreement concerns more than the condition of a single roadside fence. Staff described Ivy Mountain Connector as a pass-through route for people coming from another nearby road, making the county’s eventual choice consequential for neighboring owners and for residents who use the connection. It also raises whether public access can be preserved through continued maintenance, a changed approach to the work or possible paving.

The issue reached the commission during the public-comment session when Worley said she and the road’s other property owner did not want the county to keep maintaining the route. Her erosion concern prompted staff to describe a broader review rather than offer an immediate resolution: they said the road had generated requests for paving and that access and right-of-way questions needed examination before commissioners could be asked for guidance.

Worley’s position, as recorded in the minutes, is that continued county maintenance should stop because it is affecting land beneath her fence; she also said the other property owner shared that objection. County staff did not take a recorded position for or against maintenance or paving. Instead, they emphasized the route’s pass-through use and said they were assessing the competing access, paving and right-of-way concerns for the commission.

What is established is a resident’s request and a staff review, not an adopted county action. The Feb. 19 minutes do not document a commission vote, a final direction to staff, an end to maintenance, or approval or rejection of paving. They also do not resolve the right-of-way question, identify the options staff ultimately developed, or show that commissioners later received a report.

The next concrete public step would be a staff update to commissioners outlining options for Ivy Mountain Connector, followed by any commission guidance in a recorded proceeding. Until then, Habersham County has not publicly settled whether it will continue maintenance, pursue paving, change how work is done or choose another course.