FRUIT HEIGHTS -- Since the late 1970s, Kaysville and Fruit Heights have been in dispute over Center Street/Country Road, which would run through both cities, going east to west, were it not for two large barricades and a small patch of grass. In November, Fruit Heights initiated a lawsuit against Kaysville for not agreeing to open the road -- at least the fourth time a dispute has broken out between the two cities in the past 30 years over that same street. Fruit Heights' main reason: safety. "Both sides have a lot going into the situation," said Fruit Heights City Manager Brandon Green. Interestingly enough, the two cities have people on each side of the argument.

Some Kaysville City residents feel Fruit Heights has a point in their safety issue. Accord to the Kaysville City Fire Department, opening the road would cut response time by two to three minutes. On the other side, however, some Fruit Heights residents agree with keeping the street closed.

Although Green could not provide a lot of information on what is currently happening with the lawsuit, most citizens who live right at the barrier say nothing is going to change. "It's staying closed," said Kaysville City resident Carol Barton. She was one of those who attended the public meeting on the barriers.

"I didn't think the meeting would last too long -- it was about 15 minutes," said Barton. Citizens who attended the same meeting immediately shot down Fruit Heights City's attempt to remove the barriers and open the road, and Fruit Heights made the decision to file a lawsuit. Barton and the rest of the citizens who live right near the barricades say the same thing--that road will stay closed.

Surrounding the barriers on each side is a mix of seniors and families with smaller children. Half the houses in the area have been there for over 40 years and are occupied by the seniors who had them built.

"We feel comfortable with the way it is now," said Kaysville resident Romona Porter. Fruit Heights City residents also have seniors and small children who travel and play along that road, and it has thus far been fairly safe to do so.

Children from both Kaysville and Fruit Heights City families play basketball and hockey together in the makeshift dead end in the summer time and travel to and from Burton Elementary for the better part of every year. Opening the road would create some unwanted traffic for both sides, including the possibility of fire trucks.

The time frame for the lawsuit is very uncertain, and Kaysville as well as Fruit Heights City citizens intend to keep up the fight.