Red Willow County commissioners plan a public hearing Monday, Aug. 11, at 10 a.m., in their room on the third floor of the courthouse in McCook, to discuss the fate of a county road on the books since 1889.

Landowners Phillip and Janice Bamesberger are asking commissioners to officially abandon or vacate the road that runs east of the intersection of Roads 397 and 713, south of Indianola on the Danbury-Indianola road. The road has been on the books since June 12, 1889, when it was named Road 221 and lead into and out of a (now long-abandoned) farmstead. The road dead ends after about three-quarters of a mile.

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Gary Dicenta, the county's road supervisor, told commissioners Monday morning that he could find no record of a right-of-way width or official abandonment or vacation of Road 221.

The Bamesbergers want to erect a pasture/field fence on the north boundary of the land they recently purchased; the boundary line is on the north side of the original road.

Stan Quigley, who owns land north of the Bamesberger land, told Dicenta that he has used the road since 1954; he uses it at least once a week to check cattle.

He said it is the only access to the southeast corner of Section 5, as nearby oilfield roads and cattle guards are not wide enough for combines, semis and floaters.

Dicenta said Road 221 is not an integral part of the county road system. It's been field access only for years, Dicenta wrote in a report requested by commissioners several weeks ago.

Dicenta wrote in his report that Quigley has access to Section 5, but without Road 221, it is difficult or impossible get some equipment onto his land.

If the county decides that the road is not required for field access, Dicenta wrote, it should be officially abandoned/vacated.

If the county decides it is required for field access, Dicenta recommends changing the road's classification from local to minimum maintenance.

If the road is kept open, Dicenta wrote, he recommends that Bamesbergers install extra-wide (30-40-foot) cattle guards, which allow access without gates.