Madison County fiscal court approves discontinuance of gravel segment of Hayden Heights after split public hearing

Madison County's Physical Court voted on Jan. 13 to remove the gravel portion of Hayden Heights from the county road maintenance system, approving Resolution 2026-001 after a public hearing and a 4-1 roll call vote.

The decision matters to nearby landowners and utility providers because discontinuance changes who maintains the roadway, though it does not automatically remove private easements. Judge Executive Reagan Taylor said the action "doesn't take anybody's easements away" and that the county brought the item back to ensure statutory notice requirements were met.

Resident Debbie Besio, who said she lives at 204 Crimson Drive, urged the court to keep the gravel section in the county system and cited the county's own 2024 resolution and Kentucky law. "Hayden Heights meets the requirements outlined in KRS 178.116," Besio said, adding the road "provides necessary access for farmers" and "has been maintained by the county within the past 3 years." She asked the court to re-add the segment to Appendix A to avoid inconveniences for landowners and utility companies.

A different perspective came from landowner Billy Dargaville of 175 Maple Grove Road, who told the court he and his brother own the farms served by the gravel segment and asked that county maintenance be discontinued so he could secure the property. "I'm a landowner, and I'm coming to y'all today to ask y'all to discontinue the maintenance," Dargaville said, describing litter, ATV trespass and what he called repeated damage to his fields. He said he has paid for grading and other upkeep and intends to install a gate if maintenance is discontinued.

County staff and other magistrates cautioned that discontinuance and gate installation are distinct legal questions. County counsel and a magistrate noted that Kentucky law provides two mechanisms for discontinuing county roads (citing KRS 178.070 and KRS 178.116) and that discontinuance does not remove recorded easements or private rights of access. The court also confirmed it had posted the statutory notices (three signs) after earlier proceedings did not fully meet the posting requirement.

After discussion and public comment, the court called the roll: Master Combs voted Yes, Master Lockmiller voted Yes, Master Hughes voted No, Master Bakken voted Yes, and Judge Executive Reagan Taylor voted Yes. The motion carried and the judge executive or his designee was authorized to execute the discontinuance resolution.

The resolution approves removal of the specified gravel portion of Hayden Heights from Madison County's maintenance list; implementation details (including any coordination with utility providers or follow-up actions) were not specified at the meeting. The court's formal public record for this item includes written materials and a civil case number referenced in speakers' remarks (civil action file number 99-C1-00371) placed into the record by a commenter.