Posted 5/16/01
Motorists devise shortcut past Stacy Amoco barricade
By Jason Sileo
The Stacy City Council is looking for options to curtail some vehicular trespassing by motorists who are driving across private property to access the Amoco gas station off I-35 in that city.
Stacy Mayor Kathi Lawrence reported that a number of renegade motorists are taking a shortcut through the driveway and property of Steven Brandt to get to the station instead of driving around the block via Foster Ave.
Brandt aired his concerns to the city council earlier this week.
As is well known by those in Stacy, access to the Amoco station off County Road 19 has been barricaded by county transportation officials since the station opened last year ó traffic has been re-routed a block east to Foster until an agreement on the access is worked out.
Brandtís driveway is directly adjacent to the countyís barricades which parallel CR 19.
Some creative motorists have taken access into their own hands and are turning off CR 19 into then down Brandtís driveway, across a three-foot wide grassy area and over a curb in order to gain ěeasyî access to the gas station. ěItís a public safety concern,î Lawrence said.
The Brandts ěcanít even let their kids out in the drivewayî for fear the youngsters might be hit by an improvisational motorist, she said.
No one seems sure who is responsible for putting an end to the trespassing, Lawrence said, and no one seems to know how itís to be done, either. She said the city councilors are in relative agreement that Amoco management needs to take some initiative.
ěThis needs to be addressed by the county and the city,î she said of the activity, now occurring daily.
ěSomebodyís going to have to do something and I donít care if it is at the cityís expense,î she said, with a hint of exasperation. ěSomething has to be done.î