LANCASTER COUNTY, S.C. — Lancaster County paid for upgrades last month to a secluded road that leads to a hunting club.
Eyewitness News reporter Greg Suskin learned the county may want it to become a private road after pouring thousands of dollars into it.
9 investigates complaints of taxpayer money used to work on private road
After Suskin’s report that raised questions about taxpayer money being used to work on a road that appeared to be private, the county put up a new stop sign and street sign.
Timberline Road is gated and has “No trespassing” and “Private property” signs.
"I was with the fire department, and we always knew this as Old English Road,” nearby resident Gary Greene said. “It was a private road for the L&L Hunting Club."
Timberline and Old English roads were not on updated county maps.
They're not listed in the 911 system, either.
Some people think that Timberline Road a private road because there is a gate there.
Lancaster County Councilman Brian Carnes said tax money should not have been spent to work on any road behind a gate, but Public Works laid gravel down last month. Crews also cleared trees more than a mile back into the woods.
That was at least the second time county employees have worked there on improving a road that the public can't drive on.
Since Channel 9’s report, the gate on Timberline Road remains in place, but someone planted a metal pole in front of it so it can't be closed.
Lancaster County sent Suskin 40-year-old maps claiming that County Road 1417 is Timberline Road.
Council members did not vote at Monday’s meeting to take the gated roads out of the county maintenance system so no more tax dollars will be spent on them.
The county will ask the attorney general whether work should be done on the road.
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