It’s a road. Or it’s a path. Is it both? Neither? Whatever we call it, Shawnee Path is now officially a public right of way.

At a special Stokes Township meeting in Lakeview on Monday morning, June 15, a group of people crowded into the room on south Oak Street, ready to make their case for the unexpectedly controversial road.

As previously reported in the Chronicle, the issue has been brewing for months due to a new outdoor venue the community can best access using the overgrown pathway.

That venue—Pattie’s Place, 13534 State Route 235, Lakeview —offers an outdoor drive-in experience with space for people on golf carts to enjoy a Saturday night movie on the big screen. Many depend on the path as it cuts through to S.R. 235 from Chippewa, letting them pull up right next to Pattie’s without driving on the busier street.

Trustee Chair Steve Terrill read the statement: “Shawnee Path is a public right of way, not a road. As a right of way, the public has a right to pass through the public land. The governmental body of Stokes Township owns the right of way on behalf of the citizens and has the authority to manage access and use it but not obligated to improve it.”

Although the trustees won’t make any changes or improvements to Shawnee Path, they did remove the blocks that had been placed in the road and returned them to the Eagles parking lot, according to Lakeview Mayor Elaine Fagan-Moore.

The trustees waited until a survey of the pathway was completed before scheduling Monday’s follow-up meeting. Ben Vollrath, Logan County Chamber of Commerce president, was one of many supporters on-hand to encourage opening the path to benefit the community.

Theresa Dronsfield, owner of Pattie’s Place, said part of the discussion centered around whether Shawnee is a roadway or a pathway. But the important thing, Dronsfield added, is that public access is allowed.

“I’m just glad it’s all behind us,” she admitted.

“The resolve was there,” Fagan-Moore stated later. “No problems; no repercussions, which is perfect.