Officials close to a decision on roads

By: 
Steve Lyon

Washington County commissioners are close to deciding which of 29 sections of road considered for abandonment in the county will stay public and which will be declared private.
 The decision follows a three-hour public hearing on Aug. 12, a session where commissioners took testimony from county residents on individual roads and whether they should remain public and receive maintenance.
 Commissioners said at their last meeting they have enough information to make a decision on the list of 29 road segments on Sept. 9 at 1 p.m.
 The issue of what constitutes a public road and a right of way can be a complicated issue. There are multiple factors that go into establishing whether it is a public right of way, officials said.
 Commissioners and the county prosecuting attorney have asked for public comment on each individual road on why it should stay public.
 Some county residents who testified at the Aug. 12 public hearing said they bought their property with the idea the county would continue to maintain it and plow it in the winter.
 Others said their property could be landlocked and without legal access if a right of way is deemed to be a private lane and they have no easements to cross someone else’s property.
 Most of the ranchers and property owners told commissioners on Aug. 12 they opposed the county abandoning the 29 sections of rural roads and many are heavily used by homeowners and others.     
 Officials have described the list as spurs, private driveways and ranch access road, many of which come off main roads, and some do not serve as public access.
 In some cases, the county currently maintans a road that goes to a single house and stops at a deadend or there is no turnaround for county equipment on the road.
 The county road and bridge department compiled the list of 29 short sections of rural roads located near Cambridge, Midvale and Crane Creek for review by commissioners.     
 Commissioners said if there are compelling reasons to keep a road for public access it will continue to be maintained and kept on the county road list.
 It’s not clear how some of the private driveways or roads ended up on the county list of maintained roads.
 Officials said it used to be unofficial county policy years ago that once a few homes were located on a right of way it received maintenance from the county. Most of the roads on the list are a half-mile or less in length.

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