Undeveloped road causes quandary for Burnet County

By Lew K. Cohn
Managing Editor

When a public road is dedicated but never built in a subdivision, who has the right to convey title to the land once the roads have been turned over to the county for maintenance?

This is the question which came up Tuesday, July 9, at the Burnet County Commissioners Court meeting, when Thomas Watts asked commissioners to consider abandoning a parcel of land set aside for an undeveloped Road E in the White Rock Ranch subdivision just northeast of Burnet in Precinct 2.

Watts told commissioners the road, which is located off County Road 250, was written into the plat for the subdivision when it was developed in the 1970s, but was never built by the developers. He said development records show the road listed as being “dedicated to the public,” but Burnet County is not specifically mentioned by name.

“There is no definition of who is the public and who represents the public,” Watts said. “However, state law is clear that the county is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of all public roads within the unincorporated area of the county, so it appears to me you are charged with the responsibility and authority to abandon, discontinue or vacate the road. It was donated to the public of Burnet County, not Travis County or Blanco County.” . . .

Find the rest of this story in the Tuesday, July 16 issue of The Highlander, the newspaper of record for the Highland Lakes. To offer a news tip or comment, email lew@highlandernews.com. To subscribe, call 830-693-4367.