Public hearing on Ross County Road draws landowner concerns; commissioners favor upgrading first half‑mile to county standard

The Board of Lincoln County Commissioners opened two public hearings May 16 on county roads: one to amend the right‑of‑way for Thayne‑Freedom County Road 12‑125 and another to obtain an additional 30 feet of easement for Ross County Road No. 12‑419.

County Engineer Amy Butler told the board that Thayne‑Freedom Road was not built within its designated right‑of‑way, that public notice had been completed and that no public comments were received; she recommended proceeding with the amendment.

At the Ross Road hearing, Butler described deficiencies on County Road 12‑419 — a substandard right‑of‑way width (less than 60 feet), lack of turnaround, potential need for culverts and inadequate subbase — and offered three options: reclassify the road from primitive to standard, keep it primitive, or vacate it. Butler recommended reclassifying the first half‑mile from primitive to standard to meet subdivision requirements and connectivity goals identified in the county Transportation Master Plan.

Surveyor Marlowe Scherbel urged the board not to vacate the road, saying easements recorded with subdivisions were intended to allow Ross Road to become a county road and that vacating would remove access for some landowners. Landowners Debra Heiner and Candace Huskey asked whether the road would remain gravel or be paved and raised concerns about access and liability if traffic circumvented private gates. Planning Director Robert Davis asked about county liability if the road is dedicated and maintained by the county.

Butler said a right‑of‑way dedication would transfer maintenance responsibility to the county and that she would follow up with the necessary paperwork depending on which option the commission selects. Commissioner Connelly noted potential future traffic increases and the need to plan for alternate routes. The public hearing record closed at 2:05 p.m.