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Council formalizes stop sign at Third and Sycamore after city installs sign; debate centers on emergency procedure and notice
Summary
The council approved an ordinance amendment to formalize a stop sign at Third Street and Sycamore Street that city engineers and police said addressed safety risks; councilors criticized the administration's decision to install the sign before council notification and debated liability and process.
The City Council voted to amend the traffic ordinance to add a multi‑way stop at Third Street and Sycamore Street after the city installed the sign earlier in the month. The change followed an engineering review and neighborhood requests citing crashes and pedestrian use of a nearby park.
Bill Borden, the city engineer, told the council the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) criteria and crash reports justified the stop sign. “There were a couple accidents at this intersection, 1 including a vehicle traveling southbound on Third Street, not stopping, and crashing into someone's house,” Borden said, and he noted increased pedestrian crossings to the park.
City management said an immediate health-and-safety concern led to installation before the ordinance amendment was finalized; the manager told the council he made the call so the sign could be installed “subject to the first available ordinance reading.” Several councilors objected to the process, saying they had not been informed in advance and warning that installing signs before ordinance adoption could set an undesirable precedent and raise liability concerns if a motorist contests a citation.
Council action and additional items: The council approved the ordinance amendment formalizing the Third/Sycamore multi‑way stop. A separate proposed multi‑way stop at Morton Avenue, Spring Street and Coggeshall Avenue was discussed but the council voted against that change after mixed comments and concerns about precedent and potential winter traction issues.
Ending: The council asked the administration to improve advance notification when immediate traffic-control measures are taken; the city said it will consider sending a direct notice when exigent safety actions occur.
