Stonewood Estates North residents press Ellis County for durable road repairs; county outlines plan to mill rock into sand base

Residents of Stonewood Estates North told the Ellis County Commission on Oct. 1 that the subdivision's sand roads have deteriorated after about 20 years and no comprehensive base work has been completed. Jennifer Teegett, president of the homeowners association, said residents have seen increased dust, washboarding and traffic from delivery and construction vehicles and expressed skepticism about earlier promises dating to 2015–2018.

Ty Wilson, who said he visited every neighbor, told the commission five homeowners opposed county intervention but the majority supported trying improvements. "We've had 5 that disagreed ... the rest of them were 'do something,'" Wilson said, urging the commission to act.

Brenda McHales, County Public Works Director, explained a repair approach that mills limestone into existing sand to create a gravel base with binder material that can be compacted and maintained. She said the county has done similar treatments elsewhere and that doing an initial mill to create a stable base would both reduce dust and prepare the roadway to accept future chip seal or asphalt if the commission decides. McHales cautioned that accessing sufficient water for compaction is a countywide challenge and said the estimated additional materials cost for the project would be under $20,000.

Commissioners discussed timing and broader county needs: a base milling treatment could provide roughly a 10–15 year life expectancy with routine maintenance, county staff said, and the commission signaled willingness to start with targeted base work in the coming months while exploring longer‑term, multi‑year county programs for other developments.

Residents and staff agreed to keep communications open; the HOA offered to provide a plan and help coordinate with county staff.