Resident: City Illegally Closed Public Road

A gate that was erected across South Denton Road near the city sewage lagoon has been taken down after a property owner said it was put up illegally.

Neal Brennan, who owns property on the Meramec River that can only be reached by Denton Road, said the city did not follow proper procedures when the gate was erected.

Brennan was given a key to the locks on the gate, but he said if the locks were changed he has no legal recourse to get to his property.

City Administrator Harold Selby said the city put up the gate at the request of Meramec Valley School District Superintendent Randy George, who was concerned that cars were driving toward the river and stopping or turning around at a place very close to the railroad tracks, which seemed like a dangerous situation.

Selby said after contacting property owner Henry Alt, the decision was made to install a gate closer to the lagoon.

“Mr. Brennan came back three weeks ago and again raised the question,” Selby said. “Because of new computer technology we were able to go into the county website and see that the road was never vacated.

“Mr. Brennan was right and we have taken the gate down,” Selby said.

Mayor Herb Adams directed City Clerk Kim Barfield to draft a letter to Brennan, apologizing for the city’s action in closing the gate.