Resident urges Saline County to address dust on Shilling Road as subdivision grows

At the Saline County Board of Commissioners public forum on Feb. 11, resident Kelly Dunn of Shoreline Drive asked the county to address ongoing dust on Shilling Road east of Ohio Street, saying daily dust affects hundreds of nearby households and will worsen as more homes are built.

Dunn said she is part owner of Southview Estates and Stone Lake Estates and reported the area currently has about 80 residences in Southview and about 20 at Stone Lake, with the potential to reach 250 in the next five to 10 years. She said trucks using the unpaved road raise dust "every day of the week," and she cited a Kansas Department of Health and Environment reference (provision she cited as 28-19-13) on ambient air quality while urging action.

Chairman Roger Sparks acknowledged the issue is "on the radar" and said county and city officials have discussed dust problems across the county; no immediate commitment to paving was announced. Commissioners and staff did not adopt a new road project at the meeting related to Shilling Road; engineering staff later discussed other road projects during their quarterly update.

What residents said: "It's just a dust bowl every day," Dunn told the board, noting complaints she receives as a property owner and manager. She requested county action to either pave the road or take measures to reduce dust.

What county officials said: The board closed public comment by noting the issue has been discussed previously and remains under consideration. No formal directive or funding decision specific to Shilling Road was recorded in the meeting minutes.

Next steps: The transcript shows the matter remains a public concern the county is tracking; engineering staff did not list Shilling Road among projects scheduled for immediate construction during the Feb. 11 engineering update.

This report reflects remarks made during the Feb. 11 Saline County commission meeting public forum.