Washington County vacates part of 140th Street

WASHINGTON — A roughly 1,000-foot portion of 140th Street in Lime Creek Township, in the far west reaches of Washington County, is no longer public property.

The Washington County Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed to a quitclaim deed closing the stretch of road and transferring ownership of it and an unnamed intersecting street — in the unincorporated former town of Nira — after a public hearing Tuesday morning. The western limit of 140th Street is now the responsibility of the adjacent land owners.

County Engineer Jacob Thorius said the area was no longer a usable road.

“We’ve looked at it, and found that there is no reason to keep this as a road, we’ve not been maintaining it as a road,” County Engineer Jacob Thorius said. “This is considered 140th Street … but it’s all grown up with trees, it’s not being maintained as a road, it’s not being used.”

Thorius said there was no charge to the land owners for the transferred ownership, as the county had no use or desire for the land currently marked as a road on government maps.

“I am perfectly fine with (them) approaching us for this, and releasing it back to all the adjoining land owners,” he said.

Kevin Beachy, who owns the land, said the move allowed him to manage what was effectively his property, and allow him to keep out people who would otherwise dump trash in the area.

“That’s my hunting land and that’s what I own it for, and it spoils it if people go back there anytime they want,” he said. “I realized upon looking that that’s a county road, and anyone can go back there and I can’t do anything about it. So that’s why I have the request to vacate the road.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com