Van Buren Commissioners To Study County Road Issue

Two landowners in the Rocky River section of Van Buren County want to close the Company Store Road because of trespassers.

Van Buren County Commission Committee B will consider the request from landowner Lisa Chambers. She said the area has become a place where people gather, hunt, build meth labs, steal and drink.

“We have spent unbelievable amount of money putting up fences, putting up gates,” Chambers said. “We have people from out of state coming up there, parking their trucks and trailers and razors to ride up the road. That’s all private property. They’re going off onto everybody else’s property, including the people that are mad about it, us wanting to close this road. These people are trespassing on there. They’re cutting wood. People from out of state are coming up there cutting timber and hauling it out of there in the middle of the night. I mean, it’s really a danger, the danger to us.”

Chambers said visitors also visit the area to explore caves, but come to her home because they cannot get cell service in case of emergency. Visitors have cut locks and chains on gates, placed to keep people off the property. Company Store Road is located adjacent to Rocky River.