The Christian County Commission on an initial reading accepted a petition to vacate a portion of Holder Road that runs through private properties in Lincoln Township and scheduled a public hearing for July 10, 2025.

The petition, read in full during the meeting, asks the commission to return the county right-of-way that crosses the properties of Susan F. Spence and Steven J. and Patricia A. Hobbs to the private owners. The petition states that paving and other county maintenance have increased vehicle traffic and speed, creating “unsafe conditions for the residents,” and that vacating the right-of-way would eliminate county maintenance expenses for that section.

The petition cites state law, referencing RSMo §228.110.4, and included an attachment of signatures. County staff verified 23 signatures, exceeding the petition’s stated threshold of 12 residents required to move the process forward. Presiding Commissioner Lynn Moore said the matter would “continue without further proceedings until the next term of the county commission” and confirmed the hearing date: “The hearing date is scheduled for 07/10/2025.”

During public comment, residents voiced differing views about the likely traffic effects and travel distances if Holder Road were closed. Marsha Lawrence, a resident who spoke during the public comment period, warned that closing Holder Road could “funnel traffic on over to Shoebaugh Road” and said precedent concerns had been raised among neighbors. Another resident described the longer alternate routes and estimated one detour could stretch from 2.1 miles to about 5.9 miles, arguing the closure would substantially increase some travel times.

Moore described the proceeding as the commission’s first reading and said a second reading and the public hearing would allow full public input before any decision. She told attendees the commission would “listen to the public” at the July 10 hearing, which will be held upstairs in the old courtroom to accommodate a larger crowd.

The first reading did not include a commission vote to vacate the road; it served to file the petition and set the next steps under the statutory process.