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Whitley County court approves petition to close final quarter-mile of Kidd Road after public hearing
Summary
After a public hearing with residents for and against the move, the Whitley County Fiscal Court voted unanimously to approve a petition to close the last quarter-mile of Kidd Road, citing state statute on discontinued county roads and that the segment has not been maintained for three years.
Whitley County Fiscal Court voted to approve a petition to close the final quarter-mile of Kidd Road following a public hearing that drew residents on both sides of the issue.
At the hearing, resident Chase Elliott described safety concerns on the roadside near his home, saying people had been "coming down a road ... discharging firearms" and that his family had been endangered during hunting season. Victoria Derting and other neighbors described trespassing and unauthorized vehicle access on properties adjoining the questioned segment, while resident Bethany Reynolds urged the court not to close the road, noting her family’s multi-generation use of the route.
Judge executive and county staff framed the decision around Kentucky statute KRS 178.116, which governs discontinuance of county roads. County counsel explained that a road not maintained for three years and not necessary for others’ access can be discontinued by operation of law. The judge executive said the county’s role is to stop maintaining and mapping the segment; property-right questions about blocking or easements should be resolved in circuit court.
After closing the public hearing, the court voted on the petition to close the described section of Kidd Road. The roll-call vote recorded unanimous support to approve the petition.
The court’s action removes the segment from the county’s maintenance list and mapping; county officials said that the closure does not itself create or adjudicate private property rights or prevent private travel, and that civil claims would need to be litigated in circuit court if disputes arise.
The decision follows earlier public-comment testimony and the county attorney’s citation of the statutory discontinuance process; the petition will be recorded per local procedures and the court will remove the segment from county-maintained road maps.
