Farmer urges county help after low railroad underpass cuts off farm access; staff cite high cost and railroad limits

Kenny Hoffman told the board he cannot get farm equipment through a stretch of dirt road where a railroad underpass and steep banks block access to his property. "I am Kenny Hoffman. I live at 32291 Timber Avenue through Memphis," he said, and described that his combine, sprayer and cement trucks cannot pass under the low structure.

Hoffman asked the board to look at options including obtaining permanent easements from neighbors, vacating parts of the road, regrading or asking the railroad to alter the underpass. County staff and an engineer said there is no easy solution: the railroad typically will not permit an at-grade crossing without tradeoffs elsewhere, the underpass structure includes footings and lugs that limit widening or deepening, and building a new bridge or a significantly larger underpass would be costly.

Meeting participants suggested interim options such as seeking a permanent easement from a neighbor, targeted spot improvements to make the approach passable at certain times of year, or working with county crews over a longer period to regrade problem spots. Staff offered to revisit prior engineering notes, look again at possible short-term fixes, and meet with the railroad if Hoffman would participate.

Supervisors acknowledged the difficulty and the potential expense; one staff estimate discussed in the meeting mentioned a multi-hundred-thousand-dollar figure for significant reconstruction. Hoffman said he recognized some options would be expensive but urged the county to pursue whatever feasible remedies could restore reliable access for farm equipment.