First Baptist Church asks Leitchfield council to close short street segment; council tables request

Joey Mattingly, director of campus management at First Baptist Church, told the Leitchfield City Council that a section of North Heizer Drive runs between the church’s education building and family life center and poses a safety risk to children, staff and visitors. He asked the council to permanently close roughly 150 feet of the street and said the church would pay to install removable steel safety bollards with keyed locks and provide keys to city offices for maintenance access.

Mattingly said security-camera footage and direct observation show many drivers do not stop at the stop sign outside the education building, and he recounted a near miss on Feb. 28 when a visitor stepped from the doorway into the street and was nearly struck by an SUV.

Council members and staff questioned whether deliveries to nearby businesses and Head Start could still be made if the street was closed. One member noted that several semis have become stuck in nearby turns in the past and suggested consulting the fire chief to confirm emergency-vehicle access. City staff also said that any permanent closure could require written consent from affected landowners or a circuit-court proceeding to alter public right-of-way access.

Faced with those logistical and legal concerns, a council member moved to table the request so the mayor and city staff could contact property owners and return with options at the next meeting; the motion was seconded and carried on a voice vote.

The issue will return for further consideration after staff and the mayor consult property owners and emergency responders and report back to the council.