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Board considers lowering urban scenic-road standard to 'C'; engineers report 475A fixes planned
Summary
Staff proposed a uniform 'C' level-of-service standard for scenic roads across urban and rural areas to align with non-scenic road standards; commissioners raised concerns about preserving canopy and capacity, and county engineer outlined near-term drainage and roundabout projects for 475A.
Marion County staff recommended changing scenic-road level-of-service (LOS) policy so scenic routes have a single, uniform LOS C standard rather than a higher urban B standard, and county engineers reported ongoing drainage and roundabout work on County Road 475A.
Amber Gartner and Kimberly Horne summarized prior workshops and a map showing 45 designated scenic roads in the county. Gartner said the change would make the scenic-road standard consistent across the county; she explained that several scenic roads inside the county’s urbanized area presently operate worse than the urban B standard, and moving to a uniform C would reduce the number of scenic-road designations that are classified as deficient under the comp plan standard.
Commissioners voiced concern about the effect of reducing the standard from B to C on roads with mature tree canopies and scenic character. One commissioner said: “I don't like spending millions of dollars for an empty road,” and also said she did not want to remove canopy protections. Amber advised cleaning up the scenic-road list in the code and urged careful review of where canopy protections should remain.
Stephen Cahoon, County Engineer, updated the Board on County Road 475A, saying design work is at 90% for the two-lane elevating project with future conversion to four lanes possible; plan delivery is proceeding and the road elevation work is slated in the TIP for fiscal year 2026 with an estimated construction cost in the $13.6 million range. Cahoon said staff are engaging adjacent property owners about right-of-way and that the county is planning temporary pumping or other prestaging if a storm requires interim measures.
Commissioners asked staff for time to consider the scenic-road standard change and to reconcile the policy with local canopy protections and planned improvements. The Board agreed to take up the scenic-road LOS question again after staff adjusts code listings and provides additional context about specific segments such as 475A.
