Staff writer
Determining whether narrow side streets off Lakeshore Drive at Marion County Park and Lake are county roads is the first step to road maintenance, residents decided Monday during a meeting with Marion County commissioners.
If the roads are not county roads, the county would need an entity — such as the improvement district or a homeowners association — to negotiate for road maintenance, Commission Chairman Dan Holub said.
Commissioners said they would take the advice of County Attorney Susan Robson about whether the roads are county roads.
Holub said the county couldn’t accept many of the roads at the lake if they aren’t already county roads, because they do not have a wide enough right of way. Roads built between 1911 and 1963 must have a 40-foot right of way. Roads built since 1963 require a 60-foot right of way.
However, if the county had previously accepted the roads, they could be grandfathered in, resident Sharon Werner said, citing Kansas attorney general opinions.
“There is a lot of research to be done,” Improvement District 2 Treasurer Paul White said.
He said most of the problems can be traced to mistakes by developers and previous commissions.
Commissioner Randy Dallke questioned where money to pay for the roads would come from. He asked if lake residents would be willing to pay more to fix the roads.
White said the assessed value of all property in the improvement district for 2009 was $2.8 million, contributing $180,000 of property taxes. Of that money, about $77,000 would go to various road and bridge funds, he said.
Throughout the meeting, several residents asked whether the roads were usable to fire trucks and ambulances. Holub said it can be difficult for fire trucks to navigate some of the side streets.