Disagreement Boils Over Regarding Who is Responsible for Von Rosenberg Rd.
-
Pct. 1 Commissioner Jason McBroom wants the City of La Grange to take over maintenance of a section of Von Rosenberg Rd. that connects the Sunset Ridge Subdivision to the rest of the town. The yellow shaded line on the map indicates the approximate length of Von Rosenberg Rd. in question. Imagery from Google Maps
Last month, the La Grange City Council rejected a request from the Fayette County Commissioners Court to take over maintenance of a section of Von Rosenberg Rd. Pct. 1 Commissioner Jason McBroom spoke at the City Council meeting on Monday, June 8, to restate his case.
The section of Von Rosenberg that the County wants to hand over lies between Northline St. and the northern property line of the Sunset Ridge Subdivision. At the City Council meeting on May 11, City Manager Jack Thompson rated the condition of the roadway as a 2 on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest. He said repairing the street to City standards would cost about $125,000. After a brief discussion, the Council decided to reject the County’s request.
This past Monday, Mc-Broom asked the Council to reconsider.
“For over 13 years, Fayette County Pct. 1 and the City of La Grange have been arguing over the road – who the road belongs to – for the reasons of maintenance and drainage,” McBroom told the Council. “When Sunset Ridge was built in the 2000 to 2001 timeframe, the City of La Grange paid Fayette County to rework the roadway, and the City of La Grange paid H&C, a contractor, to chip seal the roadway.”
McBroom said the arrangement was made because the City needed to install sewer lines in the roadway for the new subdivision. Curbing was also installed at that time, he said.
“I have spoken to the previous County Commissioner who has told me that the portion of Von Rosenberg Rd. was to be turned over to the City of La Grange,” McBroom said. “I have also spoken to the previous Assistant City Manager, who also agreed that the road should have been taken over by the city. This portion of Von Rosenberg Rd. does not resemble a county road. The road width is approximately 33 feet wide – the same as North Main Street, a city-maintained street.”
McBroom said the utility manholes in the street have turned into potholes over the years. He said those manholes belong to the City, and the County should not have to maintain them. In addition, he said the City cannot access the Sunset Ridge subdivision without traveling down Von Rosenberg Rd.
“I would like the City of La Grange to take over the maintenance of a roadway that I believe should already be a city street,” he said. “I would also ask someone with the city to meet me on the roadway in question to discuss this situation.
“I’m a little upset that no one from the city has even taken the time to try to work through this situation,” McBroom added. “I would like to work together to settle this disagreement once and for all.”
McBroom delivered his remarks during the part of the meeting reserved for public comments. The topic was not on the agenda. Accordingly, the Council could not deliberate or take action on his request.