Neighbors press for road maintenance, culvert repair and agreement as commission considers subdivision

During the hearing on the 9‑acre lot at 12401 Road 38, multiple neighbors described years of inadequate maintenance on Road 38, a privately maintained red road. Kenneth Vojta said maintenance “has been a problem for 13 years,” described an undermined 50‑year‑old culvert, and said a previous accident at the Highway 184 access demonstrates the roadway’s safety risks. Neighbors worried that additional residents on the spur would accelerate erosion and increase danger at the highway connection.

Neighbors and the commission discussed private easements and the historical creation of access lanes. Chris Schlotter and Dimitri Friedrich Schloter explained that a private spur built by a neighbor changed historic access and drainage patterns and has created a valley in the roadway where water concentrates. The applicant’s agent said he will speak with the Folks and neighbors about a maintenance arrangement; commissioners noted that county code cannot compel private road maintenance agreements but staff can ensure a legal easement is in place for lot access.

The commission’s recommendation for the rezoning included direction that the easement for Lot 9 be recorded. No binding road‑maintenance condition was adopted; neighbors likely will follow up with planning staff and the applicant to seek a voluntary written agreement.