Aetna mountain road, chattanooga tennessee

[Kate]

I did find an update on another forum OffRoadSC.com (google search) that gives a bit more current info. Quote:

Update on Aetna Mountain Road access
Some of you may know about Aetna Mountain in Chattanooga, TN. We rode up there in 2009 i think and had a blast. Well they have been having issues with access to the mountain for years, i think since the early 2000s. The road in was developed into a subdivision and the owners were trying to get access to the mountain shut down. A Judge had ruled that it was a PUBLIC road, but the city was still having off duty police officers patrol it and block some people from going up the mountain.

well Recently there was a ruling from a judge in Chattanooga, and the patrolling has been ordered to be stopped. So the road is back open....for now.

9-28-11
A long-running dispute over access to Aetna Mountain Road in Lookout Valley was revived at the City Council meeting Tuesday night.

Jeff Perlaky said a judge ruled a number of years ago that the old dirt road is a public road.

But he said he has not been able to reach his property on the mountain recently, saying it has been blocked by off-duty city police officers.

He said Sgt. Rick Mincey resides at Cummings Cove and "told me to find an alternate route to my land."

Mr. Perlaky said, "It seems like he has a conflict of interest."

City Attorney Mike McMahan told Mr. Perlaky he and police official Jeannie Snyder would meet with him after the meeting.

Owners of Cummings Cove are planning a major development on land atop the mountain and a new road is being built up the mountain in place of the old one.

Cummings Cove owners say many people go up the old road and destroy private property.
City Police Directed To Stop Off-Duty Work At Aetna Mountain Road
posted October 7, 2011

Chattanooga Police officers have been directed to no longer work off duty in patrolling Aetna Mountain Road in Lookout Valley.

Chief Bobby Dodd said in a memo: "CPD will stop the extra job at the Aetna Mtn/Black Creek Subdivision based on a recent court order and legal advice from the city attorney. This is in reference to the blocking of the Aetna Mtn access road."

Jeff Perlaky, who owns property at the top of the mountain above the Cummings Cove subdivision, told City Council members recently that officers had been blocking the road.

He said he was told by Sgt. Rick Mincey to take an alternate route up the mountain.

Mr. Perlaky said a judge ruled several years ago that the old road is a public road.


After the meeting, Mr. Perlaky met with City Attorney Mike McMahan and with police official Jeannie Snyder.

[Rockhales]

Originally Posted by Kurtuleas

I am on it. Spoke with Christine this morning.

Need to get more info still and call a few people that are more in the know about state closures..

Appaerntly they just dropped this on everyone.

Thank you Kurt.



It made local news this afternoon, the news channel even passed the pettition on on their home page.

We are very proud of what officer Hicks had too say about us 'offroaders'

http://m.newschannel9.com/news/mount...etna-area.html


Off-Roaders Take Aim at TWRA

View Photo Gallery
By Richard Simms
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is under fire from off-roaders who are upset that the Agency might shut down a favorite 4-wheeling area on Aetna Mountain. An Agency statement said, "The Number One problem is environmental issues such as erosion, not only on our property, but also adjacent lands. Siltation into the river is also a major concern. We are also receiving pressure from TDEC to eliminate the above environmental issues."
Concerned about potential shutdown, the "We Rock Off Road Club" is conducting an organized campaign and petition drive in an effort to keep the Cummings Cove Wildlife Management Area open to recreational 4-wheelers and off-roaders.
Aetna Mountain lies between Chattanooga's Lookout Valley area to the East and Nickajack Lake in Marion County to the West. It's bounded on the North by the Tennessee River Gorge and on the South by Interstate 24. The entire mountaintop includes more than 9,000 acres. However Cummings Cove includes only 1,200 acres of that area.
There are two primary access roads to the mountaintop, one to the West near Haletown and one to the East near the Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Black Creek Subdivision. That access point, known as Aetna Mtn. Road, has been the subject of a long-running legal dispute over whether it is a public or private. In an Aug. 2010 court ruling however, a judge declared that Aetna Mtn. Road, "is recognized as a public road at least from Cummings Road in the City to the top of mountain and this Order shall not change that ruling. In addition, nothing contained herein shall be construed to provide or imply that Aetna Mountain Road is not a public road beyond 'the top of the mountain' as herein referenced."
The land on top of the mountain is owned by numerous individuals and entities, including the 1,200 acres owned by TWRA. There is still confusion about whether roads atop the mountain are public, or not. The Tennessee Hunting Guide says, "There is currently no public access for Cummings Cove. The only access at present is through private properties with the permission from the various landowners."
However 4-wheelers and off-roaders apparently have no problem accessing the area. For decades all 9,000 acres on the top of Aetna Mountain has been a playground of sorts for off-roaders. Now Dan Hicks, Information Officer for TWRA, says the Cummings Cove WMA seems to have become the heart of that playground.
In the wake of controversy stirred up on social media pages, a contingency of TWRA officials toured Cummings Cove WMA Tuesday.
Hicks said, "I'm not an expert in that area, but I would say there are environmental concerns. We saw lots of siltation washing off the side of the mountain."
Hicks said however, other than the erosion problems, it appears that off-roaders do an admirable job policing themselves.
"I was surprised to see that none of the signs marking our boundaries have been vandalized," said Hicks. "And I was especially surprised by how little litter there is. The area has obviously been kept clean."
Off-roaders meanwhile have been hammering at TWRA on social media pages.
Tyler Haggard writes, "I disagree on the closing of Aetna mtn. Not everyone that loves the outdoors likes to hunt and fish. There are A LOT of us that love to just offroad and that's it, me being one of them."
Robby Pate writes, "I also disagree with the closing of Aetna Mountain to 4-wheeling, I'm sure you will be hearing from more individuals and families on this issue."
Most posts indicate that TWRA wants to shut off access to the entire mountain. Hicks makes it clear that they cannot do that.
"We only have control of the Cummings Cove WMA," he said.
Hicks said strict enforcement is an option, but admits ongoing enforcement would be difficult due to manpower issues and the amazing network of roads that criss-cross the mountain like a spider web.
Hicks said, "I can't say right now that we're going to enforce anything more or less than what we enforce on any other TWRA wildlife management area. But again, our managers will be discussing the situation and we hope to have more information out by the end of the week."
Meanwhile the Aetna Mountain Off-Roading Petition Drive continues. CLICK HERE for more information.
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http://m.newschannel9.com/news/mount...etna-area.html

[DirtRoads]

Originally Posted by Kurtuleas

I am on it. Spoke with Christine this morning.

Need to get more info still and call a few people that are more in the know about state closures..

Appaerntly they just dropped this on everyone.

As usual, you step up to an exceptional degree. Let us know what we can do to help, besides signing the petition. Most of us are land use newbs compared to you and don't even know where to start. Thank you. If you come down this way, the beer is on us.

[XJsavage]

I just signed the petition to keep this place open. #2804. For anyone who hasn't signed this yet, I'm asking that you take 30 seconds out of your day to do so.

I have a link handy if anyone wants one posted.

[XJsavage]

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/kee...ain-tennessee/

[JeepinJP]

signed petition but do have a question, and no I have not read all posts but in the northeast you cannot do alot of things on a WMA wheeling would be one of them..Is there any precidence for motorized recreation on WMA property??

[LYIN' KING]

This has been in the works since last century and is all about “green ways”, wildlife, real-estate developers and retirees.

The fight is against deals created back then between State/City government and interests in the private sector.

Toss in the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Cummings Cove Wildlife Management Agency, the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency, the Trust for Public Land, the Tennessee River Gorge Trust and MANY others.

Just one look at just the resumes of the TWRA’s Commissioners alone reveals where this thing is going.
http://www.tn.gov/twra/comnames.html

Here’s the first real blueprint for what is going on, a result of work started the prior century but cobbled together quickly over a five month period, originally released in 2003 and revised since then . . .
http://www.chcrpa.org/Projects/Land_..._Area_Plan.pdf

[Rockhales]

For the locals not on fb we had two news crews out at the club today,should air tonight at 6 and 11.
Our voices are being heard!

[DirtRoads]

Originally Posted by Rockhales

For the locals not on fb we had two news crews out at the club today,should air tonight at 6 and 11.
Our voices are being heard!

How was it? Got a link?

[JeepinJP]

Originally Posted by Rockhales

For the locals not on fb we had two news crews out at the club today,should air tonight at 6 and 11.
Our voices are being heard!

good for you guys..

[Dvaughn1971]

John Mayer TWRA region 3 manager Aetna meeting - YouTube

[LYIN' KING]

I couldn't hear him very well but I think he said the solution is for "like minded" folks to "buy their own property and do what they want on it"?

[MikeBen]

Originally Posted by LYIN' KING

I couldn't hear him very well but I think he said the solution is for "like minded" folks to "buy their own property and do what they want on it"?

So whats the word? Open or closed ?

[Dvaughn1971]

They are going to have a meeting on the 21 with the Forest Legacy people and the developers to find out if it is legal to trade off our public land . For right now they are not righting tickets but they will hassle you if you go up there. I think right now they are trying to see what kind of mess they made and what they can get away with before they close it for good

[LYIN' KING]

Dude in vid hadatude . . . gone