Winfield Ridge residents press council for fire gate as city staff outline traffic-monitoring plan for Thule/Toole development

Dozens of Winfield Ridge residents asked the Newcastle City Council on Feb. 18 to install a fire gate on Southeast 80th Street to prevent new subdivision traffic from turning their cul-de-sac into a through route.

The request followed a staff presentation about a condition the hearing examiner attached to preliminary plat approval for the project (referred to in agenda materials as the Thule/Toole or “A Hundred and Thirteenth Newcastle” development): the applicant must prepare a traffic-monitoring plan, subject to City Public Works approval, “to gauge whether the connectivity creates any appreciable amount of pass-through traffic from travelers who don't live in the vicinity,” and fund its proportionate share of any required calming measures.

Why it matters: Residents said neighborhood safety and the ability of children to play in cul‑de‑sac streets are at stake once mapping apps route drivers through the area. Councilmembers and staff said the city must follow the examiner's condition and ensure the monitoring and any mitigation are properly scoped and funded before final plat approval.

Residents' pleas and examples Several residents — including Lisa Johnson of Winfield Ridge and Jeff Johnson, who both spoke during public comment — told council that the new connection will bring app-directed cut-through traffic, speeding and safety risks. Lisa Johnson, Winfield Ridge resident: “With a gate, everyone gets what they want. Fire trucks and…