MOUNT VERNON — A proposal to vacate a portion of Bat Nest Road has generated opposition from local and statewide residents.
Union Township trustees asked the Knox County commissioners to vacate the unmaintained portion of the road that goes through property owned by James Miller.
The commissioners viewed the road on Jan. 8 and held a public hearing on Jan. 13. Nine Knox County residents joined 16 others at Tuesday’s hearing.
Miller bought 80 acres on Bat Nest Road in October 2025. The parcel abuts his 60-acre property on Chestnut Ridge Road.
“What I’m here to do as a landowner is to try to create a piece of property that is home to wildlife. I’m trying to promote timber growth, wildlife, and peaceful, happy recreation,” he said on Tuesday.
“You all have enjoyed a recreation of driving through that piece of property. … So far, I as a landowner have not been able to drive my pickup to the property. That road is inaccessible for me as a landowner to get to my own land. With it being an unmaintained status, whose responsibility is it to fix it up so that I can drive through my piece of property on a legal road to go to my piece of property?”
Miller said he spent $20,000 to fix up the road so he could drive his truck on it.
“If I put the money in there, I’m not looking to have the public come in and destroy it,” he said.
Miller said he would not oppose keeping it open if volunteers from the recreation groups help police trash issues. He would oppose an unmaintained status.
The economic impact of vacating Bat Nest Road
Dave Ewart manages Mid Ohio Power Sports in Mount Vernon and also rides. He said half of his business is either off-road or dual-sport. That includes selling dual-sport and adventure bikes and four-wheelers.
“That’s a lot of title income that results in income for the county. It’s also sales tax dollars that support this county,” he said.
He noted the significance of road frontage.
“When you take away road access to a property, you limit the value of the property. Now, that’s a detriment to the property owner, but also to the county because the appraisal depends on the value,” he said.
“So you are, in essence, potentially depreciating the property by removing road access.”
Christina Reiheld of Danville spoke as a local resident and on behalf of the overlanding community. She urged the commissioners not to vacate the property.
“Just by looking at it and realizing how well used that route is, we are talking about that standard for public convenience and welfare,” she said, adding that people travel for hours to ride this section of road.
“They buy gas here. They go to the restaurants here; they go to Don Leo’s, and they get a sandwich here,” she said.
“So closing this and vacating it for the convenience of a landowner who suddenly decided we don’t really want this, it’s got to be weighed against the fact that there are so many other opportunities and so much good that is coming out of this and bringing tourism into this community and building that community strongly.”
The impact of tourism
Olivia Toth, executive director of the Knox County Convention and Visitors Bureau, noted the CVB’s focus on overnight visitors, who spend twice as much as a day-tripper.
“We have a lot of relationships in Knox County that really stem from adventure cycling to UTVs and all that sort of thing,” she said.
She cited the recent 300-rider Biketoberfest and the Black Fork Gravel Grinders, which, for 10 years, have brought over 800 attendees to the area. Additionally, Pelotonia added a gravel series day.
“While that doesn’t happen in Knox County, the people train in Knox County, not only for the regular Pelotonia event, but now for the gravel series that has been added,” she said.
Toth said that although Knox County does not have a state park or national forest, it sits in the middle of Central Ohio and offers beautiful roads, trails, and nature.
“Helping us stand out this way is really important to the visitors bureau and the offerings and experiences that we talk about and the offers that we give people,” she said.
Laura McCartney opposed vacating the road on behalf of Adventure Riders OhiO.
She highlighted survey responses from 249 outdoor enthusiasts, showing an economic impact of $256,000.
“That is the Don Leo’s, that is the gas, that is the local economy being stimulated. Giving the road over to a private interest removes it from the public forever. This cannot be undone,” she said.
Others weigh in
Danville resident Brett Bennett uses Batnest for recreation, hunting, and downriver fishing.
“I know that the trespassing, vandalism, and trash is an issue and it’s a big problem. I think it needs to be addressed by law enforcement somehow,” he said.
Brad McFadden, founder of Lost at Last Adventure Travel and developer of the Great Ohio Adventure Trail, said the GOAT is designed specifically to bring travelers off the highways into rural areas like Union Township.
“Bat Nest is not just an abandoned thoroughfare. It’s a critical piece of a larger statewide network of unmaintained roads,” he said.
“If you vacate this road, you sever a link in that chain. You take a public asset, one that belongs to every resident of this county, and you give it away to private individuals forever.”
Matt Kretschmar, administrator for the Ohio Gravel Grinders Organization, said about one-third of the organization’s routes go through Knox County.
He said the group suffered some “pretty big losses” in the last several years with the closing or restriction of Mill, Warren, and Hunter roads in the Bladensburg area.
“Every little piece that gets removed has a significant disproportionate effect on the experience and why people are drawn to Knox County to come and to ride their bicycles in this community. This is part of the history and heritage of Knox County. It is an asset to the people of Knox County. It belongs to Knox County.”
No decision has been made
Waterford-area resident Dave Howe said that vacating the road does not meet the Ohio Revised Code requirements for use, public convenience and welfare, and not causing serious injury or disadvantage to the public.
The commissioners did not make a decision on Tuesday on whether to vacate the road.
“This is investigation for us, digestion, so that we can make what we hope is a good opinion for all parties concerned,” Commissioner Barry Lester told those attending the hearing.
Lester said the commissioners anticipate issuing a decision within a week.
