Officials present South Carolina Road and Oak Street assessment plan; residents press safety and drainage concerns

Queen Anne's County held a formal public hearing Oct. 28 on a proposal to upgrade South Carolina Road and a portion of Oak Street by special benefit assessment.

County Attorney Pat Thompson read the public notice. Chief Roads Engineer Shane Moore said the project would extend from Route 8 to Bay Drive, cover about 3,740 feet and include 49 property owners. Moore gave an estimated total cost of $336,600 and said the per‑property estimate is $6,870 or an annual payment of $506 calculated over 20 years at an estimated 4% interest rate.

Moore said the project aims to provide connectivity—avoiding a county road that ends at a private paper road—and to minimize unnecessary improvements that would raise costs. He described typical construction steps: clearing and grubbing, stormwater outfall work, roadside ditch grading and culvert installation, widening to a 20‑foot stabilized base, and a three‑course tar‑and‑chip final surface. Moore reiterated that, if taken as a county road, the county would assume maintenance responsibilities.

Residents raised drainage and stormwater questions; Moore said staff had contacted property owner 17 about a potential easement to convey South Carolina runoff around a sensitive waterway but that no agreement had been finalized. Other public commenters expressed concern about the plan’s cost estimate and whether interest rates could change before assessments are finalized; Moore replied the 4% figure is an estimate used for planning and that actual financing terms are set when the county borrows funds.

Several residents asked about speeding and traffic calming. Jeannie Hutchinson and others recounted high vehicle speeds coming off Route 8 and asked whether signage or traffic calming could be installed; Moore responded that stop‑sign placement and speed‑hump installation must meet state Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) criteria and that the county can deploy speed‑recording devices, work with the sheriff’s office, and consider signage with community cooperation.

The hearing closed with the record left open for two weeks; the commissioners are scheduled to decide on Nov. 18, 2025.