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FOREST HOME TWP. - Upon receiving a report that most roads in Forest Home are in good condition, the Township Board asked for estimates on paving Steiner Road from Clam Lake Road to Cottage Drive.

Burt Thompson, engineer-manager of the Antrim County Road Commission presented a report he completed last summer ranking the paved road conditions throughout the county. He rated the roads based on a Pavement Surface and Evaluation Rating (PASER) from 1 to 10 - one being failing and 10 being brand new this year.

"You can see Forest Home Township is primarily 8's and some 9's and 10's," Thompson said. "The report shows we're in good shape."

Thompson attributed the high numbers of the 20 miles of paved road in the township to some crack sealing that was done last summer.

"I don't think we need to do preventative maintenance for a few years," he said. "This crack seal should extend their life considerably."

But the board did express concern about one particular road, Steiner. The now unpaved road is steep and unstable.

"We get a lot of questions a bout Steiner Road-especially that hill," Supervisor Terry Smith said. "Is there any way to get that stabilized?"

Thompson told the board he saw two alternatives. One would be to abandon the road and restore and revegetate it to stop the erosion. The other option is to pave it.

"I think that's the only way to maintain it as a road," Thompson said.

Thompson said if they did so, he would want to keep the road seasonal. "It's not a road I want to start plowing," he added.

The board was more in favor of the second option and asked Thompson to get estimates on how much it would cost to pave the entire stretch, or just to pave from the crest of the hill to the bottom.

"It's not safe the way it is and I don't think it's fair to the people who live on the road," Board Member Dan Steiner said.

With the other roads in good shape, the only other suggestion for improvement Thompson made was to do maintenance on the gravel roads. The board will review estimates to pave Steiner Road at their February meeting.

Hadley Robinson can be reached at hrobinson@michigannewspapers.com or by calling 231-533-8523.