Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Road Use Agreement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission tables Keller Hill road‑use agreement with Google; neighbor urges not to make Bethel Road a truck route
Summary
The commissioners tabled a road‑use agreement for Keller Hill linked to data‑center work while staff wait for a revised draft from Google. A nearby resident urged the county not to designate Bethel Road as a truck route and urged using existing corridors; commissioners said the truck‑route study and redevelopment commission funding are separate processes.
The board voted to table consideration of a road‑use agreement for Keller Hill Road and Antioch while it awaits a revised draft from Google and legal review.
A committee member said the agreement is more complex than expected and that Google’s attorney is preparing changes. The member said county staff and commissioners are working to ensure benchmarks for repairs, standards for road work, and payment protections are included before the county executes an agreement intended for data‑center construction and related traffic.
"The ball is firmly in the court of the other party, which would be Google at this point, to get us a revised draft," a commissioner said.
During public comment, resident Sheryl Howard told the board she lives on Bethel Road and asked commissioners not to make it a truck route. Howard said she understands a $10,000,000 package approved by the redevelopment commission is intended for redevelopment work and that Bethel was identified in a survey as a preferred route — but she asked the county to prioritize existing established routes instead of expanding Bethel Road and potentially taking parcels.
"I'm here to say, please don't do that," Howard said. She described confusing signage and safety concerns, said some older residents live on the road, and asked commissioners to discuss pros and cons rather than rubber‑stamp a truck‑route decision.
A county official clarified that the $10,000,000 Howard referenced flows through the redevelopment commission and that selecting a western truck route will require intensive study and likely involve multiple redevelopment areas; the official said decisions will take time and are not imminent.
Commissioners made and seconded a motion to table the Keller Hill road‑use agreement to the Aug. 3 meeting; the motion passed 3 to 0.
Next steps: staff will review Google's revised draft and circulate it to commissioners ahead of the Aug. 3 meeting; any truck‑route proposal will require additional study and coordination with redevelopment areas and town partners.
