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Forest Ridge residents say gravel road blocked mail and medicine during storms; county to investigate developer bonding
Summary
Residents described being blocked by snow and ice on a gravel neighborhood road, said the developer did not post bonding, and asked county staff and the attorney to explore options for maintenance or paving.
A resident of the Forest Ridge subdivision told the Buckingham County Board of Supervisors that the gravel portion of Forest Road left her household isolated during two recent snowstorms and that a mail carrier could not deliver medicine for 10 days.
"I don't even think an ambulance could come down that road," the resident said during the public‑comment period, asking the county to help maintain or pave the road so emergency services and deliveries can reliably reach homes.
The resident and other speakers said the neighborhood now contains about 24 newer houses while the single gravel road in the subdivision remains unpaved. They said they were told previously that the developer had not been bonded and that county and VDOT correspondence promising follow‑up did not arrive.
County public‑works staff Matt Frederick told supervisors that a road must meet the county's minimum surface standards before it can be accepted into the secondary system, which typically requires a surface treatment or 1.5 inches of asphalt. "For a road to be brought up to our standards, it has to have either a surface treatment layer ... or 1.5 inches of asphalt," Frederick said.
County Attorney Wright told the speakers that the situation is "fairly complicated" and that "a whole lot of missteps have been made along the way," but he said the county attorney's office would review the facts and report back. The board directed county staff to follow up with the attorney and authorized staff to explore options for correspondence with the developer and VDOT.
The residents asked for clear next steps and contact information for county follow up; staff provided an office number and said they would investigate whether the subdivision roads were accepted by VDOT or remain private, and whether the developer failed to secure bonding at the time of construction.
No formal vote was taken; county staff and the county attorney will follow up with residents and report at a future meeting.
