McMinnville has formally abandoned a small portion of Needmore Road.
City officials unanimously voted on second read Tuesday night to abandon two sections of Needmore Road -- one in front of KFC and the other in front of Tim’s Motors.
Both property owners requested of the city’s Planning Commission in February that officials abandon the sections, which would allow them to be utilized by the businesses. The commission recommended approval of the measure to the full board.
City administrator Bill Brock says Tim’s Motors wants the portion of the street in front of its business for safety reasons.
“The big fear on the Tim’s Motors property is that he owns the land on both sides of the road. You could be out there looking to buy a car, or sell one, and all of a sudden someone would drive through there. You just don’t realize that you’re on a street. It serves no purpose for the city to have that as a street.”
Now that the sections have been abandoned, they will revert back to the original owners.
“It reverts to the successors in interest, the owner at the time the property was taken by the city,” said city attorney Tim Pirtle. “Abandonment is abandonment. The rightful owner will be determined by looking back through the change of title.”
Voting in favor were Mayor Jimmy Haley, Vice Mayor Ben Newman, and Aldermen Mike Neal, Jimmy Bonner, Ryle Chastain, Steve Harvey and Everett Brock.