Do the US not have the same rules then as the UK regarding public footpaths - in the UK if there is a public footpath you're not allowed to build on it, or obstruct it in anyway - in fact there is a rather famous ex-Top Gear has-been (who got sacked from the show for hitting a member of staff - and has now come down to trying to flog amazonshitcarshow put the spaces where you want to on that!) that tried a similar thing in his luxury home on the Isle of Man.
In the UK if a public footpath runs through your property you have to make it available at all times to the public and are not allowed to build on it or obstruct it with anything. If you look at a map of Alton Towers there is a public footpath that runs through the back end of that, over near the hotels which goes down to Ina's Rock and Chester Zoo also has a similar public footpath too.
In some areas farmers do try and divert public footpaths and put warning of bulls in field, put locked gates in the way, crops in the way, etc - however there are many rambling groups who actively go out and ensure the public footpaths are kept open. We have a public footpath near us and a developer wanted to build houses on it - it was pointed to him that the back garden of one of the houses would have a public footpath running straight through the middle of it, and then through someone's living room - he tried to say the solution would be to move the public footpath - but it was pointed out to him that you actually can't do that and if that public footpath was there then the public would have every right to march through that persons back garden and straight through the living room. Consequently his planning application was denied, although the public footpath was the least of his problems.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
