Public Hearing Planned for Mead Road Paving

DAYTON – Enough public interest was shown in the discussion last week regarding whether to pave Mead Road north of Dayton that Columbia County Commissioners have scheduled a public hearing to discuss the matter further during their next board meeting at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 15.

Portland General Electric, which owns the wind turbines recently constructed off Mead Road and surrounding properties, has proposed to pave Mead Road – the main county roadway used during construction of the Tucannon River Wind Farm.

Seth Walker, assistant county engineer, told commissioners that PGE’s design “seems in order” and meets the county’s standards for such a project. Commissioner Mike Talbott asked whether PGE had any plans to assist the county in maintaining the road once paved. PGE representatives stated that the paving the roadway was intended to be a one-time expense, and the company did not plan a “long-term commitment” to the road.