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Residents urge Patrick County supervisors not to close Dogwood Road
Summary
Residents used the public-comment period to press supervisors to keep Dogwood Road open near Hart Reynolds Memorial School, citing daily public use, a 466-signature petition, alternative safety measures and legal questions about the board’s prior vote and notice procedures.
At a Patrick County Board of Supervisors meeting, multiple residents urged the board to abandon plans to close a section of Dogwood Road in front of Hart Reynolds Memorial School, saying the road is a daily thoroughfare for voters, shoppers, school families and emergency access.
Tara Burgess, speaking first during public comment, said the road is used ‘‘every day, all day’’ for trips to vote, go to Walmart, the hospital and the library and argued that closing it would ‘‘steal public property’’ from users who rely on it. She told the board the current safety measures at the school zone are not yet complete and warned that closing the road would remove a route that is currently ‘‘grandfathered’’ under VDOT standards and could not be reopened without bringing the road up to current VDOT requirements.
The issue has stirred organized opposition. A community organizer told the board a petition of 466 signatures opposing the closure had been submitted and argued the board’s prior Sept. 8, 2025 vote to close the road was procedurally defective because public-notice rules were not published the required number of times and the filed resolution contained different reasons than those the school board initially cited. ‘‘If that road were to close, it’ll never be reopened,’’ the organizer warned, asking the supervisors to reconsider and to hold a new vote and hearing.
Rhonda Pruitt, whose family has longtime ties to the school, said the school staff trains students on crossing procedures and suggested alternatives to closure such as crossing gates, crossing guards or a school resource officer staging during drops and pickups. Pruitt also noted the precinct that uses the school gym for voting contains more than 1,700 registered voters and asked the board where those voters would go if the school entry were closed.
Other residents, including longtime local property owners, said they had never observed accidents at the site and urged routine safety fixes — striping, speed enforcement, better signage — rather than a road closure that could disrupt businesses and access. Several speakers also asked the board to consider traffic studies, VDOT alternatives and the long-term consequences for nearby businesses and community facilities.
Board members and the county administrator were asked to provide additional information on legal notice requirements, the VDOT recommendation and the petition that was entered into the record. No final board action to close the road was taken during the meeting; residents called for a fresh hearing and a new vote with fuller public notice.
The supervisors moved on to other agenda items; several speakers said they will continue to press the board for alternatives and for a formal re-evaluation of the closure plan.
