Rushford Village council formally vacates Hans Anderson Road after public hearing

The Rushford Village Council voted Aug. 6, 2024, to vacate the Hans Anderson Road after a public hearing in which no members of the public objected. Mayor Dennis Overland opened the hearing at 6:30 p.m.; council members reviewed minutes from a 1975 council meeting and a 1976 public hearing that showed the road had been closed previously but that recordation with Fillmore County could not be found.

During the hearing, council members and staff explained that the road has not been maintained by Rushford Village for roughly 40 to 45 years and that, if vacated, the land would revert to adjoining property owners and become private property. The city sent letters to residents within about 3,000 feet of the road, published notice in the Fillmore County Journal and posted notice at the CRV Hall. A handful of residents present — including Jim Woxland, Bill Grover and Steve Anderson — said they had no objections.

After closing the public hearing at 6:45 p.m., the council reconvened for its regular meeting and approved Resolution 2024-08-06-01 vacating the Hans Anderson Road (motion by Council Member Robert Hart, second by Council Member Mike Ebner; motion carried). The resolution formalizes the village's intent to vacate the historic right-of-way; the minutes note that earlier closures were not recorded with the county but do not specify subsequent recording steps for the newly approved resolution.

The council did not record a vote tally in the minutes beyond the motion and the notation that the motion “carried.” The resolution’s legal description in the record traces to plats and descriptions from the 1930s–1940s and was shown on deeds as recently as 2012, according to staff remarks.