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Commissioners begin process to close portion of road running through private property at 88 Jernigan Road
Summary
Miller County commissioners approved starting formal steps to close a section of a county road/driveway that runs through private property at 88 Jernigan Road; a public notice and hearing will be required before final action.
Miller County commissioners voted to begin the formal process to close a portion of a road that runs through private property at 88 Jernigan Road after residents asked the board to restrict through traffic.
The request, made by a resident who identified himself as Robert, asked the county to close the stretch of road that crosses his property between a tree line and a curve. Robert told commissioners the driveway portion is “pea gravel” and “a tube rut driveway,” that the segment has not been maintained for years and that children and four-wheelers use the area, creating a safety concern. “That's what we're requesting to do is to close it at where the property lines are,” Robert said.
County staff and commissioners discussed the procedural next steps. A staff member, Andy, said the closure will require public notice and a hearing; Andy indicated the notice likely must be advertised in the newspaper. “I think you gotta put it in the paper,” Andy said. Commissioners said the advertisement would run for a period (speakers referenced a two-week run) before a public hearing; depending on scheduling the hearing may fall in April or May.
After discussion a commissioner moved to proceed with the necessary steps to close the road from the tree line to the curve indicated on the map. The motion received a second and the board approved moving forward; staff will coordinate the legal advertisement and public hearing and will notify the resident when the timetable is set.
Why it matters: closing the segment would shift maintenance responsibility and access patterns for nearby property owners and could limit through access on the county’s roadway network. The board’s action starts a statutory/local administrative process that includes public notice and a hearing before any final closure.
Next steps: staff will prepare the public notice, schedule the hearing according to the county’s required run period, and report back to the board.
