The developer of Liberty Farms gained approval from Union County commissioners for a preliminary plat and construction plans during the commission’s July 21 meeting, but not before Commissioner Mac Johns railed against the development, declaring that the neighborhood would ultimately cost the county money.
He said that other neighborhoods developed 10 or 20 years ago are now a burden on the county.
“I mean, it’s still a swamp-division anyway,” he said of the site, inferring the acreage was low-lying. “You look at it, Liberty Farms, it sounds good. People from out of the state (are) going to be buying it and they’re going to be mad. They’re going to sell it. People can’t get to their homes when it rains. So, they’re going to be complaining (to) their commissioner, and the commissioner’s going to get tired of hearing the complaints, and the school bus can’t get down there, and before you know it, our county motor grader’s going out there and working here and loads of lime rock. That’s costing us a ton. Just like some of these roads now. I don’t like it.”
County Attorney Russ Wade informed commissioners that the developer is exceeding the minimum standards for roads in the plans.
Commissioners approved the plat and road construction plans for the site near County Road 229.
After the vote, developer Pete Scerbo told commissioners, “We’ll do our best as a steward to make sure that it’s the least amount of burden, negative burden on the county. I hope that it brings some tax dollars, and it turns out to be a benefit as opposed to a burden.”
