Commissioners postpone decision on East 4th Street alignment pending legal review and traffic counts

York County commissioners extensively discussed East 4th Street — a traveled but non‑standard roadway that crosses multiple privately owned parcels and a strip of land recently acquired by the City of York — and agreed on June 14 to postpone any alignment or construction decision until the county obtains legal advice and traffic data.

County surveyor Rex and Highway Superintendent Harvey summarized deed history and field survey findings. The record shows long‑standing easements dating to 1909 that have been used for decades; parts of the west end have been acquired or dedicated by the City of York. Commissioners heard cost estimates to relocate and reconfigure the road (Harvey estimated roughly $140,000–$145,000) and were warned of drainage and maintenance obligations if the road is declared open as a county road.

Board discussion weighed options including (a) declaring the historic travelway a public road under relevant statutes, (b) negotiating easements or acquiring rights from landowners, (c) moving the county road to the quarter‑section line at significant cost, or (d) limiting county work to maintenance of the existing traveled route and acquiring necessary easements. Commissioners asked the county attorney to research statutes on roads opened by public use, and directed staff to perform traffic counts at key points to inform whether the corridor merits county‑standard opening.

The board voted to postpone final action and requested a follow‑up report with legal findings, easement documentation and traffic data before revisiting the item.