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Residents press Spalding County for permanent repairs on Field Road; public works outlines drainage constraints
Summary
Two residents told commissioners that new home construction on Field Road is increasing traffic and worsening potholes and standing water. Public Works said motor‑grader rotations and drainage elevation limits complicate quick fixes and staff is developing a plan.
During citizen comments at the March 3 Spalding County Board of Commissioners meeting, two neighbors on Field Road asked the board for more permanent road work to address potholes and standing water tied to recent home construction.
Why it matters: The complaints raise quality‑of‑life and safety concerns for a residential stretch of road where developers recently added multiple homes; the issue intersects with county pavement schedules, drainage options and the process for requesting paving.
What residents said: Detrica (Detrica) Lewis, who said she lives at 252 Phil Road and believes she is in District 4, told commissioners that Trademark Builders’ new development brought increased construction and delivery traffic that is rapidly degrading a dirt/gravel access road. She said standing water collects at the road’s end and she and neighbors now contend with large potholes and frequent gravel work. Melissa Smith, who identified her address as 24248 Field Road, spoke as Lewis’s neighbor and said the two residents share the same concerns and asked the county for “something more permanent.”
Public Works response: Public Works Director TJ and an engineer explained the county’s dirt‑road motor‑grader schedule and said the department plans at minimum two grader passes per year on each dirt road and typically provides three or four rotations when possible. Staff said they have 82 miles of dirt roads on the schedule. TJ said crews had inspected the Field Road site and determined the segment is especially flat with insufficient elevation to move water off the road. Staff said a feasible solution would be to regrade toward Page Road to the north and to work on an existing driveway to obtain the needed depth, but that the area is complicated by nearby houses and a roughly 400‑foot uphill stretch both ways.
Board follow-up and process guidance: The chair and county manager asked staff to stay in contact with the resident and to work on a plan. Commissioners also directed staff to provide the resident with paperwork and the formal process for requesting a road to be placed on a paving list.
What’s next: Public Works said it will continue inspections and will propose a targeted plan to address the drainage and potholes; the resident was advised on the procedure for requesting consideration for paving.
