FARMINGTON — Franklin County commissioners wants the state Bureau of Parks and Lands to either partner with the county to fix the heavily rain-damaged Byron Road in Township 6, north of Weld, or to take it over.
The 2.7-mile road has the trailheads to the 10,400-acre Tumbledown Mountain.
Commissioners closed the road to through traffic July 18 and voted to buy a sign that indicated that and if people went forward, it was at their own risk. Heavy rains June 26 caused several deep washouts and other damage. Some of the deeper washouts have been filled with dirt but it is still in rough shape. A stream there exceeded its banks that contributed to the damage.
The county is hesitant to spend between $70,000 to $100,000 for repairs when there are no taxpayers who live on it, Commission Chairman Terry Brann of Wilton said. Most of the land is owned by the state.
Tim Post, manager of the Western Region Public Lands, said that Bayroot LLC owns 75 acres on the road.
County Administrator Amy Bernard asked Post how the county could become partners with the state to fix the road. The road is mostly used by hikers and for the mountain maintenance people.
“It needs a lot of work,” Bernard said. The estimate of $70,000 to $100,000 is only to bring it back to what was, she said. The road is too wide and needs more improvements.
Commissioner Bob Carlton of Freeman Township said the Bureau of Parks and Land could take over the road and make into a park or do something else with it.
“It really doesn’t make sense for the county to own that road. We don’t have any control of it,” Bernard said.
Post will bring back the commissioners’ and Bernard’s comments to the state agency.
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