Lee County staff reviews dirt-road paving rules; Lee Road 649 cleared to begin next week

County staff explained the dirt-road paving program at the Nov. 10 Lee County work session, outlining the petition and right-of-way requirements commissioners should use when responding to citizen requests.

Policy details explained by staff include a required petition of two-thirds (66 2/3%) of abutting landowners, a donated 60-foot right-of-way with citizens covering surveying and legal fees, a minimum paved cross-section standard of 18 feet (two 9-foot lanes plus 2-foot shoulders), and cul-de-sac right-of-way requirements (100-foot diameter/50-foot radius) where applicable. Staff said the policy was adopted in March 2025.

Staff noted that if a proposed paving corridor contains a bridge, the county examines a wider right-of-way requirement (typically 40 feet each side, 80 feet total) to meet federal funding approach standards. Commissioners asked whether utilities would pay relocation costs; staff said utilities sometimes charge relocation fees to citizens, though the county can require relocation when poles or facilities obstruct a needed right-of-way.

Lee Road 649: Staff reported that Lee Road 649 met all the program criteria (petitions and deeds returned) and that construction was anticipated to begin next week.

Staff offered to make the policy and a sample petition available on the county website and to provide application assistance by phone for residents who do not use the internet.