Road to nowhere?

Closure debate drags on

HARTINGTON — Cedar County Commissioners again discussed the possibility of closing a road along the Cedar-Dixon county line, but no action was taken at their Sept. 9 meeting.

Much of the discussion centered on a half-mile stretch of 886 Road.

Jane Hoesing, who owns adjoining property with her husband, read a letter urging commissioners to keep the road open.

“Put yourself in our shoes. Would you want this?” she asked. “Before you decide the fate of this road, please consider this: The land was purchased with the understanding that it included access from an open road.”

Hoesing said both counties have ignored the road for years.

“This road has not been inspected or maintained by the county for years,” she said. “We are asking that the current road be maintained under minimum maintenance.”

She said proposals to make it a gated road or easement were neither “smart nor practical.”

Hoesing also pushed back on liability concerns raised at earlier meetings.

“This road poses no more liability than any other,” she said. “In fact, it has been a lower liability than most for years. How many lawsuits in either county have come from minimum-maintenance roads?”

Grading the road, she said, would also be a minor expense.

“At only a half-mile, the expense would be minimal compared to the county’s overall road system,” she said.

Keeping the road open, she argued, would benefit landowners and ensure access for emergency personnel.

“Without access, it would be impossible for fire crews or medical responders to get in to help. This would benefit all surrounding landowners,” she said.

Because both Cedar and Dixon counties have jurisdiction over the road, both must agree before any action can be taken. Commissioner Dick Donner said he would like to see the issue resolved soon, but commissioners tabled the matter to give county attorneys more time to review it.