Lyon County Commissioners have approved the closure of a more than 100-year-old roadway southwest of Olpe, however, not without some conditions.
During their regular action meeting commissioners approved a previously tabled application from landowners in the area of Road 30 at Intersection C in the county to close the roadway. Legal counsel for said landowners Paul Dean says the application, originally submitted back in April, was submitted for a number of reasons, chief among them being concerns of illegal activity in the area and on their property.
The Upper Verdigris Watershed District #24 contested the vacation application back in April saying closing the road would limit its access to a retention dam located on property that the road accesses. Legal counsel for the Watershed District Board Karen McIlvain says closing the roadway “will affect the public interest.”
Ultimately, commissioners approved the closure of the road effective Dec. 4 in order to give both parties an adequate amount of time to develop an easement agreement that would sufficiently accommodate the needs of both landowners and the Watershed District. Commissioners did express frustration that an easement agreement was not developed and approved sooner.
McIlvain says she believes the commission wanted an easement agreement developed, however, she claims that desire was never expressed to her. Dean says he is fairly certain they will be able to reach a fair agreement in the allotted time.
In other business, commissioners also approved an entrance application in the 1860 area of Road G presented by County Engineer Chip Woods.
County Commissioners will reconvene for their weekly action session next Thursday at 9 am inside the Lyon County Courthouse.
