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Commission rescinds 1998 resolution on historic mining roads, adopts staff road‑research process after public comments
Summary
The Board voted to rescind a 1998 resolution that had broadly declared historical mining roads public and affirmed use of an updated county road‑research standard operating procedure; members of the public raised concerns about individual parcel access and requested clearer guidance and follow‑up.
The Board of County Commissioners voted Aug. 19 to rescind Resolution 98‑181 — a 1998 measure that previously declared historical mining roads as public access — and to reaffirm that the county will use its adopted Road System list and an expanded staff standard operating procedure (SOP) to evaluate historical access requests.
County attorney staff told the Board that the 1998 resolution did not identify specific roads and therefore lacked the specificity required under subsequent state law and county mapping practices. Commissioners said rescinding the older measure would reduce confusion for land buyers and clarify that the county’s official road system map is the controlling record of county road jurisdiction. The staff‑prepared SOP, attached as an exhibit, outlines the objective sources and criteria (historic USGS maps, Forest Service mapping, county mapping and records, and other archival materials) staff will use when researching whether an unimproved or historic route should be recognized as a county road.
During an expanded public‑comment period, landowners raised concerns about specific access claims and asked the county to re‑review previously submitted materials. Robin DeMeo (a resident and a county Road and Bridge employee) and Joanne Sorensen (a landowner) spoke about a road that crosses private and open‑space property where they say mapping and historical evidence indicate public access; they said prior county responses were delayed or inconclusive. County staff said the road‑research team had reviewed the submitted materials, found insufficient evidence under the established objective criteria and invited additional documentation; staff also said the SOP is new and still being refined after a trial review.
Commissioners emphasized that rescinding the 1998 resolution does not retroactively remove proven public rights or affect other existing county actions. They instructed staff to continue using the SOP to evaluate formal development permits or other applications where legal access is required and to accept new documentary evidence from landowners for re‑review. Commissioners also asked staff to make the county road list and SOP easier for the public to find online and suggested outreach to real estate professionals to reduce buyer confusion.
The Board voted to rescind Resolution 98‑181 and adopt the clarified approach to research and adoption of county roads; the motion passed unanimously.
