Residents urge Humboldt County to repair Hardy Island access road used by multiple farms

Paul and Mary Anderson told Humboldt County supervisors during public comment that the ungraded access road leading to their farm on Hardy Island is deteriorating and narrowing to essentially a single lane, creating a safety hazard for farm equipment this fall.

"We wanted to discuss the maintenance on road that leads to our farm and 5 other farms," Paul Anderson said. He said grass and weeds are growing down the center and edges, and the road has not been graded in a long time. The Andersons said that although the road is a dead-end, it provides access to more than 700 acres of farmland: "there's over 700 acres of farmland that use that road for their main access to their fields. So it is a major road even though it's a dead end."

Engineer Ben Lutz responded that staff will look into the road history and maintenance schedule. "I look into it, I'll check...we mow big roads 3 or 4 times a year and gravels 2 to 3," Lutz said. He told the board that anytime the county replaces a culvert "we've had backfill and you are gonna have settlement. So we'll look at bringing some more material and do heavier than those."

Lutz also noted the county office is on summer hours and that some staff were out of the office when the residents tried to reach them. He said staff return voicemails and will follow up on the Andersons' request.

Why it matters: the residents say the road will need to carry combines and semis during harvest; the county's response signals an inspection and potential material placement to restore grade and width.

Next steps: Lutz said he will pull records and point out the location for crews to address settlement and material needs. The Andersons and the board asked that staff follow up; no formal motion or allocation of funds was taken during the meeting.