Washington County rejects road assessment district petition

RIVERSIDE — A group of property owners hoping to split the cost of proposed road improvements 50-50 with Washington County saw their petition rejected Tuesday morning, after county supervisors said they were unwilling to spend taxpayer funds on the proposal.

The proposed improvements included pavement for a quarter-mile stretch of 140th Street, south of Riverside, as well as gravel improvements for another quarter mile. The nearby residents hoping to evenly split costs with the county also sought a 10-year, zero-interest payback period from the county. County Engineer Jacob Thorius said the project would have had a total price of just under $445,000.

Several landowners in the area have argued since 2022 that improvements to the road were needed, citing steadily increasing traffic on the roads as more people moved into the residential area. A handful of other locals, however, adamantly oppose the plan, saying they were unwilling to help foot the bill and accusing the local homeowners association of overselling the plan’s popularity.

Board of Supervisors Chair Richard Young said the 50-50 cost split with zero interest was too much to ask. He said the homeowners knew what they were signing up for when they moved into houses on a gravel road.

“If they want it paved, then they should come to us with 100% of the funding, and we should not be giving them 0% interest,” Young said. “They should go borrow the money and pave the road.”

Board members voted 5-0 to reject the petition. Supervisor Stan Stoops said he didn’t see the need for improvements beyond the first quarter mile, and Supervisor Jack Seward Jr. said he was worried the petition was insufficiently supported by the locals.

Only one 140th Street resident spoke at the meeting. She discouraged supervisors from affirming the petition.

The decision ended a long-running back-and-forth that started in 2022, when residents of 135th Street and 140th Street approached the county about funding options for area road improvements. The debate’s been complicated by state requirements for such collaborations, and a developers efforts to secure a new subdivision in the area.

It doesn’t necessarily mean the roads won’t see upgrades anytime soon. Supervisor Marcus Fedler made the motion to reject the petition Tuesday morning, but said 140th should still get some attention in the county’s five-year road plan if area homeowners didn’t make the investment themselves.

“If we have an opportunity in the future where it makes sense … I think it would be potentially a good idea in the future, at some point, to upgrade that road surface so the maintenance isn’t as high,” he said. “Maybe in five, 10 years we’ll have some money sitting there that would make sense to do that.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com