Polk sets public hearing to name new roads, including new law enforcement center

COLUMBUS — Polk County Commissioners are seeking feedback from the public about naming some new roads after changes were made earlier in the year to a county road naming ordinance.

One of the new roads to be named includes the road entering the county’s new law enforcement center just outside Columbus.

Commissioners met Monday night and set a public hearing for 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 5.

County Attorney Jana Berg said the county has a number of roads that with the new road-naming ordinance need to be renamed.

“Have we done this before, because this seems new to me,” said Commissioner Chair Jake Johnson.

County Manager Marche Pittman said the county has not named roads since 2000.

Berg said when the county adopted amendments to the road naming ordinance 911 addressing requires roads to be named and addressed. She said there is a list of six pathways that now need to be named.

The pathways that the county plans to name include one in the Saluda Township, two in the Tryon Township, two in the Columbus Township, one in the Mill Spring Township and the road entering the new law enforcement center in the Columbus Township. 

Suggested road names include Camp David Drive (Saluda), Rio Spirit Way (Tryon), Nikki Jayne Lane (Columbus), Mae Miller Road (Columbus), Dragonfly Lane (Mill Spring) and Peaceful Lane (Tryon).

Commissioners also came to a consensus Monday to suggest the new law enforcement center road to be named Government Complex Drive.

County Manager Marche Pittman said one of the things done in the past is to get the state road numbers for the roads so people will know which roads are being named.

“I will get the information and put it in the packet for the public hearing,” Pittman said.

Commissioner Shane Bradley said once the new road names are adopted the county should make sure all the fire departments know of the changes.

Commissioner Ray Gasperson said he was in Pea Ridge recently and ran into a man who could not find the new law enforcement center. He suggested the county put a sign saying it was the sheriff’s office and jail. Currently, the sign outside the new law enforcement center says “Polk County Government Complex.”

Pittman said he could put a sign there and also said that road also needs to be named, so commissioners discussed possible names and decided to add the law enforcement road to the list for the public hearing.

The public hearing will be held in the R. Jay Foster Hall of Justice, located on the second floor of the Womack building in Columbus.