Hello
This is Donny Stuart, owner of the Wilderness Rider Buffalo Ranch & Adventure Park in the Boxley area. I am reaching out to you today to ask for your help in getting former County Road 9540 re-designated as such again.
We are attempting to grow the ranch in size and as such have purchased a 280 acre older homestead in the Boxley Valley. That parcel also has an existing gravel pit on it which the County has used on and off again over the years to help maintain the roads in our area. The County has maintained and repaired that section of roadway leading back to our land over a period of many decades and is again wanting to use gravel from this property to maintain roads in the area.
This property has always used access via this road that can be found on historical maps spanning numerous decades. Currently the road is designated as NC 47 on google maps and also NC 9540. It begins at the Boxley Baptist Church off of Highway 21. The road runs across another land owners’ property, who began locking a gate across the road after the family we purchased from inherited the parcel and no one was living there any longer. That land owner has now taken us and the County to court to say that he had controlled the access to the road for a period of seven or more years, thereby terminating any County Road status which may have previously existed. The judge hearing the case agreed that the road had indeed remained closed for a sufficient period of time to negate current County Road status.
After this recent ruling, we and the County now find ourselves totally locked out from accessing this property as that is the only viable road in. The County, along with any interested individuals that want to see it re-opened, must now reclaim the road by petitioning the court to condemn the existing road way thru that parcel, and re-designate it as a County road once again.
If you would be willing to be a co-petitioner with us we very much need your help. All that is required is that you fill out the form on this page or give Attorney Steve Davis a call at 870-741-4646, your verbal ok is all that is needed to include you as a co-petitioner. There will not be a need for you to appear in court.
Let me make it quite clear you are NOT signing up to share in any legal costs associated with this action. You are only agreeing with and requesting that the county reclaim a road that has been there historically. Again I ask you to please consider helping out a fellow Newton County merchant by joining this petition.
Our mission at the Wilderness Rider Buffalo Ranch is to contribute to our community as well as bring additional tourism to Newton County, especially during seasons when the river is low. We have thousands of visitors annually who stay in local lodging, eat in local restaurants and purchase from local stores. Please help us.
Thank you for your consideration,
Donny Stuart 832-474-2990
Lynn Beckwith 832-527-2774
Wilderness Rider Ranch 870-220-2944
Steve Davis, Davis Law Firm (870) 741-4646