Who owns the road? Trustees hear concerns about dust, speed on 516 Avenue

A cloud of confusion over who is responsible for a 1,670-foot portion of 516 Avenue, headed north out of Clearwater, hung over the village trustees’ June 12 meeting.

Once the Sinclair dust settled, trustees agreed to take steps to clarify who is responsible for the road and establish a speed limit.

Cole and Amy Scott, who reside at 205 River Road, addressed concerns with the amount of dust and the speed limit.

According to village chairman Kelly Kerkman, a former village board member said permission was never given to the county to grind the road’s surface.

“His exact words were ‘I never told them they couldn’t either,” Kerkman said.

Millings from the stretch were retained by the county. No action regarding grinding the stretch appears in previous village minutes.

Kerkman said he spoke with commissioner Eli Jacob, who urged a village board member to address the county board. Trustee Cody Kester met with Antelope County Commissioners, June 13. No decisions were made at that time.

Kerkman suggested the county show documentation that the village agreed to have the road “tore up.”

“The village does not destroy that road,” Kerkman said. “There’s two houses there.”

Trustee Brian King asked what the price tag to pave the section would be.

According to Kerkman, a one-block stretch in town ran $83,000 last year.

Cole Scott asked if a speed limit sign could be posted between the highway and the bridge approach, where the speed limit is 55.

“There’s no inclination that our road is a city road. They assume it’s a county road and assume they can do what they want going up to it (the bridge),” Amy Scott said.

Kester said when discussed with the village engineer, he did not know what the speed limit should be in that stretch.

Following discussion, trustees agreed a 35 mile per hour speed limit would be appropriate.

Kester said it’s a discussion to have with Miller & Associates and then, the village will have signs posted with the approriate rate of speed as drivers enter and exit the village.