By HOLLY GASKILL
For property owners on Meridian Road, road conversions are about more than kicking up dust.
Several homeowners spoke with the County Commissioners on Monday night, saying their gravel roads have been stalled in the conversion process by a single property owner.
Richard Zeplin, 8162 N Meridian Road in Uniondale, stated he has petitioned for the conversion of his gravel road for 28 years. Along the mile block his property is located on, all but one property owner has donated the right-of-way. This donation allows the county to slightly widen the road and create a proper ditch line to meet safety standards.
According to Zeplin, the one property owner holding out on the road conversion does not live in the county but leases the land for farming. He noted that there were many nice homes in his mile, including a $4 million structure, that remained subject to these ongoing issues.
Zeplin said he has paid annually for dust control to mitigate issues, but the amount of travel, specifically agricultural travel, often causes the treatment to quickly become less effective. Zeplin said he spoke with a local bus driver, who described being unable to stop dust from covering students during pick-up and drop-off.
County Engineer Nate Rumschlag added that the road has been identified as high priority for conversion, as it currently receives well above the traffic a gravel road should.
Similarly, Tim Roehr, 8099 N Meridian Road in Uniondale, stated he’s seen the traffic on his gravel road increase as people travel to and from Allen County. Highway Department Supervisor Shawn Bonar said this road was the most often repaired gravel road in the county by far.
This area was also mentioned during winter storms when it developed severe icy patches that caused a series of slide-offs and accidents. Rumschlag said these conditions create a liability for the county.
Commissioner Jeff Stringer added that they had been talking about road issues in this area for as long he’s been in office and wanted to see a change made.
Until the right-of-way is received, the county cannot move forward with road conversion due to safety standards for road travel. The county could offer to purchase the right-of-way, but such measures are not included in the Highway Department’s budget.
The right-of-way is often 16 to 18 feet from the center line on most gravel roads; the county asks for a 30 feet right-of-way for conversion.
Following these discussions, the commissioners directed County Attorney Ted Storer to look into their options for negotiating and acquiring the right-of-way in these areas. Commissioner Mike Vanover said they hoped to offer steps forward to the complainants within 30 days.
holly@news-banner.com
