The Hall County Board of Commissioners must decide today whether to upgrade a dirt road in North Hall that was meant to be abandoned years ago.

Old Claude Peck Road is a narrow stretch of road about one-fourth of a mile long and 14 feet wide that once was part of Claude Peck Road.

"They realigned Claude Peck Road and took that sharp curve which is Old Claude Peck Road out of the roadway," said Public Works Director Ken Rearden. "The Old Claude Peck we’re speaking of now was never abandoned."

Commissioner Steve Gailey said some of his constituents on the road want it put on the county’s radar.

"What they’re wanting is to put it back in the maintenance system," Gailey said. "It’s like a pig trail. It’s got grass and gravel in it, trees hanging over it."

Old Claude Peck has not been maintained by the county in years.

"Technically it is still a county road. But it hasn’t been maintained by the county in a long time," Gailey said. "It’s just a real screwy situation."

Rearden said bringing the road up to county standards would require more right of way than many property owners are willing to give.

"We require about a 12-foot travel lane and each direction, which is 24 feet, and then you’ve got ditches and swells to dig to make the drainage work properly, so that’s why we require a minimum of 50 feet," Rearden said. "It’s quite an undertaking to bring that road up to county standards."

Hall County Planning Director Randy Knighton said in March 2006 the Planning Commission determined that Old Claude Peck Road was a public way.

"The public way status allows for that road to be used to subdivide properties," Knighton said.

Gailey said he would like to see the county accept the road.

"I’m going to make the motion to accept the road and approve it as is," he said.

The commission will vote on accepting Old Claude Peck Road at its board meeting at 3 p.m. today at the Georgia Mountains Center.