MOUNT VERNON — On Tuesday, the Knox County commissioners held a public hearing on the Jefferson Township trustees’ request to vacate a portion of Kay Road.
Twenty people attended the hearing, including two Kay Road property owners.
The Phillips family owns around 133 acres through RPF Farms. Township Trustee Frank DiMarco owns 16.3 acres.
Jeff Wallace, land manager for RPF Farms and a Phillips family member, said there has been a lot of trespassing, poaching, and shooting of firearms without a license.
He related an incident where his son was hunting and saw a truck stop on Kay Road. The driver poached a deer from the truck.
“[My son] heard the sound of the arrow coming through the air,” Wallace said, adding that the poacher was going to trespass and retrieve the deer.
He said the one-lane road is unsafe when two vehicles encounter each other. Referencing a comment made at last Thursday’s road viewing, Wallace said all roads have a history and sentimental value.
He also questioned why the township should spend funds to maintain the road since no one lives on it.
DiMarco echoed Wallace’s comments about trespassing, illegal hunting, and spending money on a road on which no one lives.
Additionally, he cited problems with off-road ATVs, parties, and property damage. He related an instance of someone dumping corn in a field in a spot with a clear view to shoot wildlife.
DiMarco’s son, Zachary, called the road “an attractive nuisance.” Zachary said that on several occasions, as he was hunting, he was at the end of someone’s gun barrel from individuals hunting from their vehicle.
He noted there was one game warden in the county, and it takes a while for the Knox County Sheriff’s Office to respond.
Safety services
Eastern Knox County Joint Fire District Chief Larry Stimpert previously voiced concerns about increased response time to Greer should the county vacate Kay Road. He also said mutual aid from the Western Holmes County Fire District depends on if volunteers and a truck are available.
Frank DiMarco questioned those concerns. He said the WHCFD chief assured him bridge closure on 514 would not sacrifice the quality of mutual aid.
Chief Chad Dial told Knox Pages the department has two full-time as well as part-time and volunteer personnel. Full- and part-time personnel staff the station from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week.
Volunteers staff the station from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. WHCFD dispatches from the Nashville station six days a week.
Dial said the department has enough personnel and equipment to respond to two runs simultaneously.
Other comments
Former Township Trustee Steve Kauffman said that while Kay Road is narrow, it has the same right-of-way as other township roads.
He said closing the road “won’t stop perpetrators from getting on your property or putting corn out.”
Trustee Matt Kauffman previously said the road would be a Class X road. However, the trustees asked that a portion be vacated.
County Engineer Cameron Keaton clarified that the right-of-way still exists on a Class X road, but the trustees do not maintain the road. Vacating a road means the road reverts to the landowners on either side of the road.
If landowners want to re-establish a vacated road, they must bring it up to current engineering standards. Additionally, all landowners must agree.
Township resident Janet Whitmore and incoming trustee Monica Severns questioned the suddenness of the vacation request, saying there has been no discussion in trustee meetings.
Frank DiMarco said he brought the issue to the trustees’ attention as far back as 10 years ago.
Resident Larry George pointed out that if the county vacates only a portion of the road, a turnaround has to be created for road crews. He said the terrain is unsuitable for a turnaround on both sides of the road.
Incoming trustee Roxanna Reiheld said closing a road does not fix issues such as trespassing and illegal firearms. She also said houses could be built on the road in the future and that the township maintenance department uses the road as a cut-through between Chapel and Jericho roads.
Wallace noted that numerous situations were unreported to the KCSO or game warden.
“I think it’s about time to do something about it rather than say it’s going on everywhere,” he said.
Engineer Keaton will make a recommendation to the commissioners about the trustees’ vacation request. The commissioners expect to make a decision in two to three weeks.
