Fentress County Commission will hold a public forum next month to discuss the potential for more opportunities for offroad vehicles.
Representatives Kelly Kiesling and John Mark Windle presented the idea to the County Commission at its August meeting. County Executive Jimmy Johnson said after hearing from the public, there have been a lot of questions about what can be done and what needs to be done in order to move forward.
“But it actually is a safety issue because a lot of people will go back to the parking area and unload their vehicles back there,” Johnson said. “But then you have a lot that will actually unload two miles from the site and drive their ATVs back on the county road.”
The project involves Black House Mountain Road.
Johnson said people do like to get out into that area of rough terrain and it is a suitable place for riding. He said the county’s concern comes from people actually getting to the area itself.
Johnson said they are holding a public forum on November 17th in order to make sure they put their best foot forward. He said they want to balance the wants and needs of the residences in the area with the wants and needs of potential off-road vehicle drivers.