Sumner County committee backs sending Liberty Creek school traffic safety concerns to full commission and school board

Residents living near the new Liberty Creek school told the Sumner County Health and Emergency Services Committee on Jan. 6 that vehicles staging for student pickup and drop-off are blocking lanes and forcing drivers into oncoming traffic, creating what multiple speakers called an immediate life-safety risk.

The committee added the traffic-safety concern to its agenda and voted unanimously to recommend a resolution—originating in the Highway Committee—asking the full county commission and the Sumner County School Board to review road layout and safety at Hunters Lane, Latimer Lane, Wolfpack Way and Long Hollow Pike and to coordinate with the sheriff's office on enforcement.

Why it matters: Residents described repeated instances in which cars stacked in a turn lane blocked access for neighbors and emergency vehicles, and where drivers moved into oncoming traffic to avoid the backups. Committee members and residents said the problem combines roadway design, parking behavior during school pickup and drop-off, and inconsistent enforcement. The committee’s action aims to create a multi-pronged response that could include school-district changes, highway engineering review and sheriff’s enforcement.

Residents described long backups and near-misses. Mike McLeod, who said he lives in the Veil subdivision adjacent to the Liberty Creek complex, said cars “line up in the turn lane” and that, on one occasion, he and his wife “counted as many as 22 cars” blocking the hill. “We can’t even get to our homes,” McLeod said.

Tammy Kimbrough, who said her driveway is 50 feet long, said she has been nearly struck while standing at her mailbox because drivers “come over in my driveway in that 50 foot.” Sue Norris, who lives two doors from the school complex, told the committee she had been “almost killed” in a crash at the Long Hollow/Latimer intersection and said the intersection needs engineering attention and, likely, a traffic signal.

Commissioners and staff described the problem as several intersecting issues. Commissioner Rogers (first name not stated in the record) said Long Hollow Pike is a state road and suggested the county’s delegation and state engineers may need to be involved; Commissioner Rogers cited a Portland, Tenn., example where a multi-pronged effort — including students visiting the state capitol — helped secure a signal. Director Langford (title: Highway Department director) told the committee he planned to ask parents to avoid blocking driveways as a near-term step but agreed the problem will likely require engineering and enforcement.

Committee members described options rather than mandating a single fix. The Highway Committee’s draft resolution asks the school board to review traffic and safety at the listed intersections, to have county engineers revisit road layout and safety concerns (including illegal parking/staging in turn lanes) and to coordinate with the sheriff’s office on enforcement. The committee recorded that the county has not yet accepted some of the roads that are involved, which affects how projects and approvals proceed.

The committee voted to: • Add the citizen traffic-safety item (Hunters Lane/Latimer Lane/Wolfpack Way) to the Health and Emergency Services Committee agenda for discussion (motion made on the floor; motion seconded; passed). • Support and recommend the Highway Committee’s resolution asking the school board to review the safety and to pursue engineering and enforcement options; the committee voted to forward that recommendation to the full county commission (motion and second recorded on the floor; passed unanimously).

Sheriff’s office role and enforcement: Committee members urged a sheriff’s presence for immediate enforcement against vehicles staging in travel lanes. Several speakers noted the sheriff’s office has limited manpower and that state agencies handle state-route enforcement, complicating near-term enforcement options.

What’s next: The committee will forward the Highway Committee resolution and its support to the full county commission for a formal vote. Committee members said they will also request improved communication between the school district (Superintendent Ellis), the county highway director (Langford) and the sheriff’s office to identify short-term enforcement and longer-term engineering solutions including potential signalization on Long Hollow Pike.

Residents and committee members emphasized urgency: “Something has got to be done before somebody gets killed,” said Hope Warnock, a nearby resident. The committee’s recommendation asks the school board to “discuss” the matter and asks county staff to revisit engineering plans and to coordinate with the sheriff’s office for enforcement and reporting.

Votes at a glance: The committee added the citizen traffic item to the agenda (motion and second on the floor; outcome: approved) and voted to support forwarding the Highway Committee resolution to the full commission (motion and second on the floor; outcome: approved/unanimous). The record does not list individual roll-call tallies.

Ending: County officials and residents said they will continue to press for immediate enforcement to address the turn-lane staging and will pursue engineering reviews and school-district discussions to reduce staging on the travel lanes and improve safety.