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Van Buren supervisors weigh Vine Avenue upgrade; board says landowners must clear brush to get road-level change
Summary
Supervisors reviewed a request to upgrade a short section of Vine Avenue from level C to a higher maintenance level to serve a parcel sale. The board declined a full Level A upgrade, estimated at about $31,000, and agreed to consider a Level B if landowners clear brush and pay to place rock and obtain easements.
Van Buren County's Board of Supervisors spent a substantial portion of its Sept. 27 meeting on a citizen request to upgrade a short Level C segment of Vine Avenue northeast of Stockport to provide safer vehicle and school-bus access for a parcel sale.
County staff described the site and the condition of a now-impassable bridge; the road superintendent said a full Level A upgrade would involve significant brush-clearing, earthwork and rock and he estimated the cost at roughly $31,000. "That way, they knew what they'd potentially be getting into," the road official said when presenting the ballpark figure.
Board members and the public discussed alternatives. Staff noted that a Level C road typically receives no county maintenance, while a Level B would permit limited grader work (one or two passes per year) and would remove gate requirements but not guarantee snow removal or full service. Several landowners and a prospective buyer (who identified herself as the landowner's granddaughter) said they would clear brush, provide gravel and pay necessary costs if the county would allow a Level B conversion and move the gate to the bridge.
Supervisors raised liability and access questions, explained the county's ordinance framework and repeatedly stressed that an upgrade would normally require the landowner to bear construction costs or enter an agreed easement. The consensus outcome: the board is not interested in upgrading to Level A; it will consider moving the segment from Level C to Level B provided landowners coordinate brush-clearing, secure any required easements and fund rock placement; the road superintendent will prepare a formal cost estimate and the matter will return to the board for formal action.
Why it matters: the decision clarifies the county's cost and maintenance expectations for private development requests that rely on public right-of-way. Allowing a Level B after landowner-funded work preserves county budgets while enabling limited public access and safer entry to the parcel in question.
What's next: staff will develop a cost estimate and proposed easement language, and the landowners will be asked to coordinate fence and brush work with adjacent property owners. The board will revisit the item at a future meeting with a prepared cost breakdown and any required documentation.
