Petitions seek to close two Pettis County roads

Residents from Dresden, Cedar, Heath Creek and Longwood townships submitted petitions to close two Pettis County roads this week.

Fifteen residents of Dresden and Cedar townships signed a petition to close a portion of Treasure Road, starting about 600 feet west of the township line between Dresden and Cedar and running east about a half mile, ending at Bouldin Road in Cedar.

Another petition seeks to vacate Long Grove Road near Heath Creek township. Nineteen Heath Creek and Longwood township residents signed the petition.

The Pettis County Commission gave the petitions their first reading Monday.

The petitions said each road is “useless and the repairing of the (road) is an unreasonable burden upon the district.” None of the petitioners attended the commission's meeting Monday.

The petition to close Treasure Road will be posted at Dresden school until 20 days before it receives a second reading, which will occur at the beginning of March. The petition was started in July, revised in October and presented to the commission for the first term of 2009.

Road and Bridge Superintendent Bill Connor said the portion of Treasure Road petitioned to be closed is a natural crossing where the road goes through a creek. Flooding has eroded the road, which is a dirt road partially covered with gravel, to the point where farmers and other drivers are struggling to travel across it, Connor said.

“The property owners’ main concern is that it's becoming a dumping area,” Connor said.

The petition to close Long Grove Road will be at the courthouse until the commission gives it a second reading in March. The petition started because local property owners want to build up their land at the end of the dead end road, Connor said.

“One of the land owners wants to build a house up there,” Connor said.

Certified letters will be sent to each land owner whose property touches the roads after the second reading of the petitions, Western Commissioner Larry Wilson said.

Presiding Commissioner Rusty Kahrs said this period gives the public an opportunity to respond to the proposals. He said people can contact the commissioners with concerns about the proposals until March.

“If people have a comment or concern, we encourage them to speak with any of the three of us about it,” Kahrs said.

The commission will make a decision on the proposals to close the roads after the second public readings.