Inquiry leads to list of at least 12 unused properties county will consider selling

Dickson County might soon be selling off some excess property, once it figures how how much unused land it actually owns. Mayor Bob Rial told county commissioners Monday night that a citizen asked him about land the county owns from when a bridge was built about 30 years ago on County House Road. Rial said he discovered the county owns three landlocked acres that are not being used, which led him to wonder “besides this property is there any other property out there.” Planning and Zoning Director Donnie Thiel said he is still researching the issue, but already has identified about 12 pieces of property the county is not using and could consider selling. Thiel said the parcels include cemeteries, roads to cemeteries, unused rights of way and two lots on West 4^th Street and Hardin Street in west Dickson. “How they ended up in our name I don’t know,” Thiel said. Rial proposed that once a list of properties is completed, the county could sell them by bid or auction and apply whatever money is generated to the county’s debt service. The commission voted unanimously at its work session to continue pursuing the idea. Rial did not give a projection on when he expects the list to be completed and ready for sale.