WINTON – A road once bustling with traffic heading to the sandy shores of the Chowan River will soon close.

Following their approval here last week of a request to abandon SR 1321 (Chowan Beach Road) near Winton, the Hertford County Board of Commissioners will forward that information to the North Carolina Department of Transportation who, in turn, will close the road.

The Chowan Beach Road, approximately three-tenth’s of one mile in length, runs northeast off SR 1175 (Parker’s Ferry Road).

Cham Properties of Ahoskie made the request. That firm owns the property on both sides of the Chowan Beach Road, from the Parker’s Ferry Road to the river.

Prior to granting the request, the Commissioners held a scheduled public hearing on the matter. No one spoke in favor or opposed the request. There was no representative from Cham Properties at Monday’s meeting.

While in the public hearing, Hertford County Attorney Chuck Revelle pointed out that the Commissioners are within their power to request of DOT to abandon any road within the county’s system of secondary roads when, &uot;it is in the best interest of the people of the county.&uot;

&uot;Upon receiving our petition of abandonment, DOT will take the Chowan Beach Road off of their secondary road system,&uot; said Revelle. &uot;They will no longer maintain the road and, depending upon the right of way agreement, can place a gate at the entrance to the road off the Parker’s Ferry Road.&uot;

Revelle further explained the right of way agreement, saying that it’s possible the property on which the road was built would revert back to the landowner at which time the road is abandoned.

He went on to say that, due to the county’s subdivision laws, Cham Properties cannot sell more than three lots along the road, once it’s abandoned.