Silver Acres resident urges second access; road director outlines material and equipment requests
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Summary
A Silver Acres resident proposed paving Camino Serna to create a second ingress for the neighborhood; the county's road director described budget requests for materials, culverts and equipment that could support such projects but said larger paving would require prioritization and additional funding.
A resident of the Silver Acres area asked the Grant County Board of Commissioners on April 24 to consider paving Camino Serna as a second access to reduce traffic and improve emergency response.
The speaker said Camino Serna "probably about a three-quarter of a mile" is already hard-packed dirt and could be prepared for paving to provide an alternate route into the neighborhood. She cited the 2011 fires and the community's reliance on a single road, Lance Drive, as the reason a second entrance would improve safety.
Jason Lockett, road director, told the commission the road department's preliminary FY2026 request includes a large increase in daily work funds, added material for road surface improvement (noted in the transcript for "Wind Canyon" projects), and a $50,000 increase for bridges, culverts and cattle guards to begin a phased replacement program. Lockett said the department added money for a water truck, micro-surfacing projects and stock for traffic-control signs; he told commissioners the added materials and the water truck would extend what crews can accomplish this year.
County Manager Sharlene Webb said the county had considered using bond dollars for a larger paving project such as Lance Drive but that bridge repairs and other deferred maintenance were higher priorities in the bond program. Webb added a new road director is starting soon and could help prioritize projects and explore alternate approaches to large paving jobs.
Why it matters: The request calls attention to emergency access and long-standing deferred road maintenance in unincorporated parts of Grant County. Road department requests for materials and equipment could support interim improvements, while a paved second access would require additional capital planning.
No formal vote or commitment to pave Camino Serna was recorded during the meeting; commissioners and staff said the request would be considered in prioritization and future funding discussions.