Commission approves Lumen utility relocation and several approach permits with conditions

Lawrence County commissioners approved a utility relocation permit for Lumen Industries and several approach permits affecting subdivisions and private homes.

John, speaking for county roads/engineering, told the commission Lumen needed to relocate a communications line along Whitewood Circus Road for a bridge project and that crews had scheduling constraints; he recommended approval. The commission moved, approved the permit and allowed the work to proceed under the permit conditions.

The board also approved improvements for an approach connected to the Hidden Pines subdivision on Wildburger Road, where staff required the approach to be paved to the right-of-way limits and to replace a cattle guard with a 60-foot-long, 18-inch culvert. For a new access in the Apple Springs development, the commission required tree removal, hard surfacing to the right-of-way limits and traffic-control adjustments at intersecting roads, which the developer agreed to.

For a conversion of a field approach to a home site on Hillsview Road (Doug Lueder), staff recommended adding material to meet minimum-grade standards and installing a minimum 18-inch corrugated metal pipe at least 32 feet long; commissioners approved the approach with those conditions.

Commissioners noted concerns about increasing driveway access onto county highways and discussed the limits of their authority to require improvements beyond the right-of-way. The approvals were conditional on the applicants meeting the stipulated road-surface and drainage requirements; county staff will monitor compliance before final acceptance.