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Resident urges Morgan County to restore access to property after gates block Prater Road
Summary
Andrea Watkins, speaking for her mother, presented deeds, maps and photos and asked the fiscal court and Road Department to remove gates installed by adjoining landowners that she says block the county road giving sole access to her family’s property. County officials said they will verify the road’s surveyed length and foreman’s signed determination before taking enforcement action.
Andrea Watkins, speaking at the Morgan County Fiscal Court meeting, urged the county to restore public access to a stretch of road she said private landowners had gated and effectively closed to the family she represents. Watkins said she appeared on behalf of her mother, Linda Terry, and presented deeds, Kentucky Transportation maps and photos showing gates that she said obstruct the county road serving 265 Freighter Road. "A property owner cannot legally redefine or terminate the county road," Watkins said, citing KRS 178.04 through KRS 178.116 and calling the gates a public-safety hazard because emergency vehicles cannot reach the Terry properties without someone unlocking the gates.
The petition prompted immediate discussion by county officials. An unidentified official responding at the meeting said the sheriff and state police can ensure a road is kept open if it falls within the county-maintained length; otherwise, the matter is a private civil dispute to be resolved in circuit court. The official said a road-foreman determination — currently unsigned in the packet — listed the county-maintained length as 0.297 miles and asked the foreman (Sean/Ratliff) to review and sign the measurement. "If it's blocking the county road, I will ensure that the sheriff will ensure that that gets fixed," the official said; "If it's farther than that … then it's going to be up to you to take it to Morgan County Circuit Court."
The court did not order immediate removal of the gates at the meeting. Instead, magistrates and staff agreed to have the road foreman confirm the signed measurement and to verify whether the gates fall inside the county-maintained segment. Court members emphasized public-safety risks raised by Watkins — she told the court that an inspector had been escorted off the property during a prior visit — and requested that staff document precisely where the county road ends and produce any existing signed determinations. The judge and other officials asked staff to follow up with written documentation and to bring the record back to the court for any further action.
What happens next: county staff will obtain and, if necessary, sign the road-foreman determination and verify measurements in the field. If the obstruction is within the county-maintained right-of-way, officials said law enforcement and the Road Department can act; if it lies beyond that distance, Watkins may pursue civil remedies in Morgan County Circuit Court. The court did not set a timetable for follow-up but acknowledged the need to resolve the access and safety concern.
