Summerville council approves 3-way stop at Smythe Drive and King Charles Circle after resident safety appeals

The Summerville Town Council voted to install a three-way stop at the intersection of Smythe Drive and King Charles Circle after residents raised safety concerns about speeding and limited sight lines.

The change followed written requests from Newington Plantation residents. Melanie Russo, who identified herself as a Newington resident in a letter read at the meeting, said the intersection “has become increasingly dangerous due to speeding cars” and asked the council to install “a simple 3 way stop sign” to protect children, pedestrians and neighbors. Another letter from Larry Collette, submitted on behalf of about 546 households in Newington, said the intersection sits on a hill and has a curve that makes oncoming traffic difficult to see and noted that school buses use the route.

Why it matters: Council members said traffic counts used by the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) did not capture the principal safety concern — sight lines and near-miss incidents — and that local action was warranted. Councilmember Garten moved to approve adding a three-way stop; the motion was seconded and carried. Councilman Halter asked that public works provide advance warning signs when the new stop signs are installed.

Council discussion and directions: Councilmember Garten summarized the neighborhood history of requests and said previous SCDOT studies focused on vehicle counts rather than the visibility problem. Halter asked staff to ensure advance-warning signage for drivers approaching the new stop, a step public works typically handles. During discussion council members asked staff to coordinate with SCDOT as appropriate; council accepted public works’ lead on install and advance-warning placement.

Implementation notes: The motion directed the town’s public works department to install the three-way stop and to add advance-warning signage. Council discussion used the phrase “install those stop signs” and confirmed the expectation that public works will carry out the work even if SCDOT’s right-of-way determinations are involved. No timeline for installation was specified at the meeting.

Public comment context: The push for a stop sign echoed multiple prior homeowner association requests dating back several years, according to council remarks presenting a timeline to members. Residents said near misses have occurred frequently, though no crash report was cited during the meeting.

Next steps: Public works will schedule installation and coordinate any needed notifications or escalation with SCDOT. The council did not set a firm completion date at the meeting.