Plan to spend up to $75,000 for improvements.
By Tim Schmidt Record Managing Editor Wright City aldermen last week voted to spend up to $75,000 to repair and resurface Indian Head Lodge Road. The project will improve the condition of the street, though it remains unclear who the owner actually is. An ordinance allowing the city to appropriate funds for the resurfacing project was approved unanimously at the May 22 board of aldermen meeting. A state statute allows municipalities to use funds to improve a road that connects to it. The city also received approval from the Warren County Commission allowing it to proceed with the road improvements. Indian Head Lodge Road is located off Westwoods Road, northwest of Wright City High School. Though it doesn’t own the road, the city has done minor maintenance and cleared it of snow during the winner for several years. Public Works Director Larry Janish said the road project will likely occur in late June or July. City crews will handle work needed to prep the road for the resurfacing. The city is currently accepting asphalt bids and plans to contract out that portion of the project, Janish said. City officials said they still receive regular inquiries from residents asking why improvements are not being made to the road. “We’ve had a lot of calls,” said Karen Girondo, city treasurer/economic development director. “I told them to bear with us.” City officials previously believed the road had been voluntarily annexed into the city. However, it was recently learned that Indian Head Lodge Road was not included in the legal description of the land that was previously annexed. The road serves as the only entrance for a subdivision located within the city limits and for other city residents who live nearby. The deteriorating condition of the street has prompted many complaints from residents in the area. Last month, Wright City aldermen voted to proceed with a quiet title action regarding the street. A quiet title is a lawsuit that establishes a property’s ownership. The move would prevent another party from claiming ownership. For now, city officials said that procedure may not be needed as long as the city is allowed, by statute, to use funds for future maintenance. Noting that residents are concerned about the condition of the road, Alderman Jim Schuchmann previously said, “in the interest of public safety, we have to do something for that road.”
Wright City to resurface Indian Head Lodge Road
