(1) Twenty-five or more freeholders of a township may apply by petition to the board for the county in which that township is located for designation of a county local road or portion of a county local road as a natural beauty road. Twenty-five or more freeholders of a city may petition the legislative body of the city for designation of a city street or a portion of a city street as a natural beauty street. Twenty-five or more freeholders of a village may petition the legislative body of the village for designation of a village street or a portion of a village street as a natural beauty street.

    (2) Within 6 months after a petition is received, the board or the legislative body of the city or village shall hold a public hearing to consider designating the road or street described in the petition as a natural beauty road or natural beauty street, respectively. The hearing shall be held at a suitable place within the township in which the proposed natural beauty road is located or the city or village in which the proposed natural beauty street is located. At the hearing, a party or interested person may support or object to the proposed designation. The board, the legislative body of the city, or the legislative body of the village shall give notice of the hearing by publication at least once each week for 2 successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county, city, or village, respectively, and by posting 5 notices within the limits of the portion of the road or street to be designated, in public and conspicuous places. The posting shall be done and at least 1 publication in the newspaper shall be made not less than 10 days before the hearing.

    (3) Within 30 days after the hearing, if the board, the legislative body of the city, or the legislative body of the village considers the designation desirable, it shall file with the county clerk, city clerk, or village clerk, respectively, a true copy of its resolution designating the portion of the county local road as a natural beauty road, the portion of the city street as a natural beauty street, or the portion of the village street as a natural beauty street, respectively.