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Houston County proposes new rule to require paving for any newly added roads; Rocky Top Lane, industrial-park repairs discussed
Summary
County staff proposed changing the county roads policy so any road newly added to the county-maintained list must be paved. Commissioners also discussed adding Rocky Top Lane to the list and using TVA impact funds and cost-sharing to repair badly deteriorated roads in the industrial park that lie partly in Stewart County.
Houston County commissioners discussed a proposed resolution that would require any road newly added to the county-maintained road list to be paved — by tar-and-chip, asphalt or concrete — regardless of grade. The proposal was presented as an amendment to the county’s road policy that is on the meeting agenda.
The sponsor said county staff currently maintain roughly 500 roads and that 125 are gravel; rising material costs and recurring maintenance demands prompted the proposed change. The sponsor said gravel costs have roughly doubled or tripled compared with 15 years ago and that the county’s annual maintenance revenue has not kept pace with those increases.
Commissioners discussed adding Rocky Top Lane to the county’s road list as this year’s single addition. County staff described the road as well-constructed with solid subgrade and T-DOT–grade rock; owner Ben Redmond has offered possible cost-sharing for a future chip-seal project. Commissioners estimated a full chip-seal or pavement job could cost roughly $100,000–$120,000 per mile, and noted such projects would likely be scheduled two or more years out.
Separately, commissioners and staff discussed a deteriorating road network inside the county’s industrial park, portions of which lie in Stewart County. Staff said the industrial board has requested repairs and that Commerce City (the city referenced in the exchange) said it lacks funds to fix the road. The county discussed a three-way funding plan using impact money: roughly one-third from the county, one-third from the industrial board and one-third from Stewart County. Commissioners noted the work likely exceeds the county’s competitive-bid threshold and that a formal bid process will be required.
No formal vote on the road-policy amendment, Rocky Top Lane addition or the industrial-park repair plan was recorded in the transcript. Each item was presented for discussion and placed on the agenda for future consideration at the full meeting cycle.
