Homeowner in path of road disputes chairman's account of postponement

UPDATED FRIDAY 2:18 p.m.

With no advance warning, the Fayette County Commission again postponed a vote on the proposed alignment of the second phase of the West Fayetteville Bypass Thursday night.

Commission Chairman Jack Smith said the county was unable to get some information for a homeowner whose house would be eliminated as part of the alignment. Also, that homeowner, Randy Blount, was unable to provide some information to the county as well, Smith said.

Smith said tabling the matter was necessary because of an agreement the county made with Blount not to vote on the alignment until all information could be shared by both parties, Smith said.

Blount challenged Smith's account Friday morning, saying the county is not waiting on any documents from his family to proceed. Blount said the county sent an appraiser to his home last week and it's the appraisal documents from the county that are outstanding.

"I'm not the one holding everything up," Blount said.

The commission tabled the matter until its June 11 meeting.

Audience members apparently didn't get word of the matter being postponed, as more than 50 wore labels on their shirts with WFBP written in red with a blue slash through the middle.

The commission took comments about the bypass during the public comment portion of the meeting.