By Dedra Cordle
Staff Writer
The village of Urbancrest council discussed a proposal to install stop signs at various intersections at its Feb. 13 meeting.
Making the proposal was Mayor Joseph Barnes Sr. who called for stop signs to be posted at First Avenue and Augustus Drive; First Avenue and Wallace Lane; Central Avenue and Augustus Drive; and Central Avenue and Wallace Lane.
Barnes said he felt the addition of stop signs were needed at these intersections because speeding motorists pose a danger to residents and others sharing the road.
“This is a safety issue,” he said.
Several council members agreed that something needs to be done to address the dangers of speeding on the residential streets but expressed uncertainty as to whether stop signs would be the best deterrent at these locations.
“I think speed bumps would be more advantageous,” said councilwoman Shawn Moore.
Barnes said he was not in favor of the inclusion of speed bumps as they can be costly to install and also pose logistical headaches for the street department and their road workers.
Councilwoman Alicia Wiggins proposed a different option by requesting that the hedges at these intersections be trimmed.
According to Wiggins, the dense foliage can hinder the view of the motorist and feels it would be safer for everyone if they were scaled back.
The issue with that option, said Barnes, is that the village cannot do that as they are privately owned and not in the right-of-way.
Wiggins asked if the homeowners had been contacted to see whether they would be willing to trim them. Barnes said he had been in contact with the homeowners but added they were unwilling to trim them.
“The hedges are not in violation of the code so there is not very much that we can do,” he said.
Barnes reiterated that he feels the installation of the stop signs are the only way to improve the safety at the proposed intersections. He asked the members of the Health and Safety committee to take action and work on crafting legislation to install stop signs or other safety measures at the intersections.
Councilwoman Deborah Larkins-Jackson and chair of the committee said they would further discuss the matter at an upcoming meeting and ideally would have a concrete proposal on the issue by May.
