Residents press council for speed-calming on Emerald Drive; council to add issue to work session

Residents of Emerald Cove told Walnut Grove City Council that speeding on Emerald Drive and nearby streets has become dangerous for children and pedestrians and urged the council to consider speed bumps, additional stop signs or other traffic-calming measures.

Lucy Levtha, who identified her address as 2230 Emerald Drive, said she sees “10 to 15 children running around that neighborhood at any given time” and described repeated near-misses when drivers fail to slow on the hill. Brenda Ramsey, who gave her address as 2221 Emerald Drive, said neighborhood members have repeatedly asked a frequent speeding driver to slow down and warned, “Someone's gonna get hit,” and called the situation “really getting very dangerous now.” Another resident described a child—identified as Ayla—who ran into the street and narrowly avoided being struck because an approaching car was traveling at high speed.

Council members acknowledged the problem is not unique to Emerald Cove and said the issue will be added to the next work session to explore solutions. The mayor and councilmembers invited residents to bring neighbors to the work session, submit emails, and supply location-specific information so staff can compile maps and consider measures such as additional stop-sign control, speed humps, or increased sheriff’s patrols. Council members noted some enforcement in parts of town is handled by the sheriff’s department and said they will follow up with sheriff’s offices to clarify enforcement coverage.

No formal vote or ordinance was taken at the meeting; the council recorded direction to staff to research options and place the traffic-calming discussion on the upcoming work-session agenda.