Residents, board press city to fix County Road 317 drainage and bridge by Beale Baptist Church

Public comment at the Keene EDC Type A board meeting raised continuing problems on County Road 317 near Beale Baptist Church, and board members and staff discussed staged repairs, responsibility, and rough cost estimates provided by the city’s engineers.

A resident who said they had driven County Road 317 told the board that the gravel and potholes were being managed but that the church’s congregants should be treated “as good citizens” and that the road remained in poor condition. The resident noted a prior agreement with the contractor Thurman to maintain the road while it was used as a haul route.

Staff and a board member said public works and the city’s engineer have performed temporary repairs — adding gravel and clearing ditches — but long-term fixes will require more substantial work. The city’s engineering estimate in the meeting packet listed several line items: roughly $100,000 for the Colbert Crossing alone; about $1,200,000 for paving from Highway 67 to the church; and an approximate $2,500,000 total to “make that nice,” city staff said. Staff also gave a rough, separate figure of about $200,000 to address drainage/culvert work in an initial step.

The board noted jurisdictional complexity: a short segment near the church lies outside city limits, so county responsibility covers some stretches while the city is responsible for the remainder. Staff recommended a staged approach: clear trees and ditches, install larger culverts or concrete box culverts where needed, then widen and pave the most-used section. Staff and engineers emphasized that doing the drainage work first would prevent repeated washouts that ruin later paving work.

Several board members asked whether the original contract with Thurman could still be enforced to require contribution to repairs; one board member said Thurman originally agreed to maintain the road and gave the city $75,000 for future repairs under the contract, while staff said the contract has expired and the company is no longer using the road. Board members discussed pursuing conversations with county officials and local landowners for cost-sharing but took no formal action.

Ending: Staff said they would seek design and bid-ready estimates and recommended bringing quotes and a phased plan back to the board for future approval.