SKAGIT COUNTY, Wash. — A small, less than half-mile section of Peter Burns Road is causing big problems in Skagit County, pitting local families against the county government over who is responsible for fixing the road.
“At this point, we’re at a loss as for what to do,” said resident Deanna Stevens.
The trouble started about two years ago when the U.S. Postal Service stopped delivering packages to people living on the stretch of road, deeming it too dangerous. At one point, neighbors counted about 400 potholes.
The persistent problem has been an issue for years, and Skagit County crews would routinely repair the road. But this time, things were different.
After decades of performing maintenance, the county determined Peter Burns is actually a private road, and maintenance is the responsibility of the neighbors. A Skagit County spokesperson told We, “The portion of Peter Burns Road … has never been a designated county road, meaning the County has never been responsible for maintaining it.”
“It’s incredible they would just wash their hands of it, no due diligence, no public hearings or even asking us how we felt about the conditions at all,” said neighbor Scott Stevens.
The road connects two big money makers — an off-road vehicle park and state timberland. Residents say if the county is adamant that the road belongs to them, they will do what they want with it, including potentially shutting it down.
“We might have to close it if they don’t find a solution to this. I hope it doesn’t come to that,” commented Deanna.
“They have told us this is our road, so we have the latitude to do that. I think we all feel that is a last resort,” added neighbor Dave Peterson.
The State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) estimates about 250,000 people use the road every year.
“We can’t maintain this for public use it’s just too much of a burden for all of us,” said Scott.
DNR said it has always considered that section of road as belonging to the county, “since as early as 1967.” DNR added that if public access is cut off, “management of trust lands that benefit Skagit County will be reduced, potentially decreasing revenue in Skagit County.”
So far, neighbors have spent about $10,000 to keep the road passable, but they can’t afford to do more. They are hoping to pressure County Council members to reverse the decision and avoid any further roadblocks.
“We just want a resolution to this,” a resident concluded.
트위터 공유: 도로 붕괴 위기 주민vs카운티 포트홀 전쟁