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Commissioners deny Bayshore Drive petition to replace guardrail with private gate after safety, legal concerns
Summary
After a public hearing at the Nov. 12 meeting, Vanderburgh County commissioners denied a petition by Michael Melton to replace a county-installed guardrail with a private gate to permit seasonal farm access across the end of Bayshore Drive; HOA and county staff raised safety and legal objections and county staff said the public road was not accepted past the asphalt.
Vanderburgh County commissioners denied a petition on Nov. 12 from Michael Melton seeking to replace a guardrail with a gate to access his 30-acre property from Bayshore Drive. The petition requested a culvert, a graded gravel entrance and a small staging area so farm equipment could access the land a few times per year.
Melton told the board he and his family own the adjacent 30 acres and that a title search (dated Nov. 5, 2024) showed no recorded ownership for a 22-foot strip at the end of the road. "Our property is private land with what could be accessible via private, public road," Melton said, and he described the gate as a way to notify drivers that the road ends and to reduce trespassing and liability.
HOA president Doug Russell opposed the request, saying neighborhood safety and existing road geometry make farm-equipment access inappropriate: "Access through the neighborhood is not allowed for…
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