ALPENA – The Alpena County Road Commission on Tuesday approved a special assessment design process to be completed for the Burks Manor subdivision, Elden Drive, and Pohl Road.

During the winter, the road commission looked at pulverizing the Burks Manor subdivision, Elden Drive, Pohl Road, and Meyers Road. But, after residents expressed their thoughts about it, the road commission in June postponed the pulverizing.

Residents for the affected streets turned in petitions with over 51 percent of residents signing. The road commission then approved resolutions in July to move forward with the special assessment design process.

Through the special assessment process, residents would pay half the cost of any work that is done to the area.

The road commission would have to approach Alpena Township about paying a percentage of the cost, as well.

The proposal from Huron Engineering & Surveying Inc. includes the requested design criteria, the shortest timeline to complete the work, and is the most cost effective proposal, officials said. The cost to perform the design on all three projects is $19,500.

The road commission discussed the road widths that are required to drive on, since the Burks Manor subdivision, Elden Drive, and Pohl Road are old and not in the best shape. Managing Director Larry Orcutt said part of the design process will be looking at the widths of the roads to determine the severity of the projects.

“We’ll look at abiding by the road commission policy for subdivision construction,” Orcutt said. “Anything other than that, the board will have to evaluate.”

The special assessment design should be completed by December. The road commission has to hold two public hearings with residents of the roads to share the special assessment design. Orcutt said he hopes to have final numbers ready by January or February.

In other business:

The Alpena County Road Commission on Tuesday also:

∫ approved August bills for $888,222.82, contract payments for $607,780.69, and purchases for $345,685.45;

∫ approved the purchase of new signs from Newman Traffic of Jamestown, N.D. for $1,166.71. The shipping cost is included in the price.