Angelou is again a topic for commission

A number of local residents, including some in support and some in opposition of AngelouEconomics, attended a meeting of the Alleghany County Commission Monday afternoon.

The commission's second monthly meeting is held at 3:30 p.m. on the third Monday; the first meeting is usually held at 6:30 p.m. on the first Monday. However, this month's first meeting was held on Tuesday night because of the Labor Day holiday.

The meeting included a full agenda, including discussion of a road name change, the county's annual audit and other business.

Road Name Change

Two local road names were changed at the meeting Monday. Weddens Way was changed to Irwin Farm Lane and Betko Boulevard was changed to Windy Hill Lane.

The roads had originally been named by developers Jay and Marie Wedden. Betko is Mrs. Wedden's maiden name.

The road names were originally changed at the commission's Aug. 18 meeting, but that move was rescinded Sept. 2 after it was discovered that the road name change required a public hearing based on the county's ordinance.

Commissioner Eldon Edwards apologized to Wedden and said the first vote without a public hearing was an oversight on behalf of the board. At the meeting Monday, Wedden said he was not notified of the proposed road name change until after the new signs had first been put in place. Shortly thereafter, when the commissioners rescinded the vote, the original signs were put back in place.

The new signs will again be displayed after the commission voted 5-0 to change the road names.

County Manager Don Adams said that all of the residents on the two roads, totaling three in all, wished to have the road names changed. Windy Hill Lane (Betko Blvd.) has only one residence, while Irwin Farm Lane (Weddens Way) has two residences.

The commissioners agreed to consider the opinions of residents, not property owners, in changing road names.

The Weddens, who recently sold the last 15 acre tract in the development, opposed the road name change. The Weddens said they still own a common area in the development. The residents on the two roads unanimously agreed to request the road name change.

However, about five of the eight (at the time of the road name change petition) property owners on Irwin Farm Lane (Weddens Way) also wished to have the road names changed. All of the property owners on Betko Blvd. requested the name change.

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