Keith County commissioners approve vacation of portion of Spinner Road after public hearing

The Keith County Board of Commissioners voted Thursday to vacate a portion of Spinner Road south of Ash Drive in the Lakeshore subdivision, awarding half of the vacated right-of-way to each adjacent landowner.

The action followed a final public hearing on a request by applicant Tim O’Connor and a feasibility report from Highway Superintendent Thomas Wilbur recommending against vacation because losing the route could hinder emergency response during high-water or severe-weather events.

The dispute centered on a low section of the road that residents and county staff described as repeatedly washing out. Tim O’Connor told the board he plans to install a concrete catch basin and a detention structure to control runoff and build up the roadway on the east side, saying, “we're gonna put a catch basin there, concrete catch basin, and then below it put a detention pond” to prevent the repeated washouts.

Several Lakeshore residents opposed the vacation at the hearing, saying they use the route in summer months and worried closing it would lengthen emergency travel distances. Gerald Patrick, a Lakeshore property owner, said the road is narrow but that people still depend on it: “Every time somebody gets stuck here in the middle, guess where they come? I'm the only house around there.” Harry Marsh, another longtime resident, urged the commissioners not to close the road, saying it provides local access and emergency egress.

Wilbur testified that his department had conducted a feasibility study and concluded the road should remain open because in a natural disaster alternative routes might be inadequate and response could be delayed. Wilbur said restricting routes in the subdivision could “further inhibit the emergency responders.”

Commissioners referenced both positions during debate. Commissioner Lane Anderson moved to grant the vacation with the vacated portion split between the two adjacent property owners; Commissioner Wartman seconded the motion. The motion passed on a roll call vote in which all present commissioners voted yes.

The resolution granting the vacation will be corrected for a typographical error and finalized by zoning staff, the board said. The decision will also require updates to county mapping and to emergency-service routing if sign or address changes are necessary.

Why it matters: The action transfers a county-owned right-of-way into private ownership and makes future maintenance the responsibility of the adjoining property owners; the county’s highway superintendent had warned such a change could reduce route redundancy important to emergency responders.

The board did not adopt any county-funded road improvement as part of the vacation. O’Connor told commissioners he intends to invest in roadwork on the portion he will use. County staff said they will update records to reflect the vacated segment being split between the two landowners.

Minutes show the matter was first brought to the board at a March meeting and that certified notice and newspaper publication requirements for the final hearing were met.