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Washington Evening Journal
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Washington, IA 52353
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County will upgrade road in front of Old Scotch Pioneer Cemetery
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
SOUTH AMANA — Iowa County will upgrade a road it hasn’t maintained in 40 years so as not to lose access to a pioneer cemetery south of South Amana.
The portion of 180th Street west of S Avenue hasn’t been maintained by the county since the 1980s, Iowa County Engineer Nick Amelon told county supervisors, but he hasn’t found a document showing that the county vacated it.
Amelon suggested the county vacate the road, though he warned that a resident on 180th Street would probably object to the action.
Supervisors instead told Amelon they want the road to stay open so the county doesn’t lose access to the Old Scotch Pioneer Cemetery on 180th Street between S Avenue and R Avenue.
Bringing the road up to the standards of a B level road would take about $5,000, said Amelon. The survey alone would cost about $3,000, he said.
Supervisor Chairman Kevin Heitshusen said he doesn’t see a reason to vacate the only road to the cemetery.
Once the road is vacated, the county can’t get it back, said Supervisor Abigail Maas. And if the county vacated that portion of 180th Street it would need an easement from the property owner so people can get to the cemetery.
Amelon said he’d rather vacate the road and get the easement, but Supervisors were of a different opinion.
Supervisor Alan Schumacher said he’s not in favor of vacating the road; Supervisor Chris Montross shared that opinion.
Supervisors debated whether to make the road B level or C level, the latter requiring less maintenance.
But a level C road has to be gated, supervisors said. Installation of a gate would cost money, and closing the gate would defeat the purpose of keeping the road open for access to the cemetery.
“You really can’t come from the west,” said Supervisor Jon Degen. The dirt road to the cemetery runs through a field, and it doesn’t appear to be a road at all at its beginning, though a sign announces that the Old Scotch Pioneer Cemetery is a half mile west.
Access from the east, from R Avenue, takes a driver west on 180th Street and through a private driveway to the section of 180th Street that is a dirt road which passes the cemetery.
The owner of the property to the east isn’t happy that people use the private driveway to get to the cemetery, said Amelon.
The county has other cemeteries with access limited to easements through farmland. Why not just get an easement for this one? Amelon asked.
Heitshusen said he didn’t want to lose access to any more cemeteries. The rest of the board agreed and instructed Amelon to upgrade the road.
“I’ll work on getting that surveyed then,” Amelon said.
