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Hendersonville committee to re-evaluate safety at Indian Lake Road–Lake Terrace after child struck
Summary
Residents told the Hendersonville Public Works Committee that sight-lines, speed and an awkward intersection create hazards for schoolchildren. The committee asked staff and the city traffic engineer to re-evaluate options, coordinate with property maintenance on vegetation, and restore missing crossing signage.
Residents from the Indian Lake–Lake Terrace neighborhood pressed the Hendersonville Public Works Committee on Aug. 26 to take further safety steps after a child was struck at the intersection near an elementary school.
The matter drew a long public comment period during which several neighbors described the intersection as an “odd” alignment with blind approaches, steep grades and high vehicle speeds. “My son was hit,” said Jack Campbell, a resident who said his 12-year-old was struck by a car months earlier. “We feel really thankful because it could have been a lot worse.”
City staff told the committee a traffic engineer had already performed an initial assessment after a request for a multi-way stop and found the location did not meet most MUTCD (Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices) warrants, primarily because traffic-volume criteria were not met. Staff said sight-distance obstructions did meet criteria and could be addressed by trimming vegetation or other property-maintenance measures. “One of the criteria that you evaluate for a multi-way stop is collision history,” the staff presentation said; the report showed two collisions at the location in the last three years.
Residents described repeated “close calls” when children use the crosswalks and urged a four-way stop or traffic-calming measures. One neighborhood engineer recommended an inexpensive speed-feedback sign (radar speed display) as an immediate measure. “One of these…anywhere in this section…would solve that problem for every kid walking,” the resident said, estimating installation costs in the low hundreds of dollars.
Staff urged a progressive approach to traffic calming: address sight-line obstructions first, then evaluate lower-cost measures such as school-zone signage, crosswalk-ahead signs in high-visibility lime-green, and portable speed-feedback trailers before installing a multi-way stop. Staff also confirmed the city has a mobile speed-feedback unit and collects speed data but noted placement constraints in this corridor because of roadway shoulders and sight-lines.
The committee directed staff to have the traffic engineer re-inspect the intersection, incorporate the public comments made at the meeting, coordinate with property maintenance about trimming vegetation on private parcels that obstruct sight lines, and restore a missing pedestrian/crossing sign noted by residents. Committee members said they would place the subject on the committee’s agenda for a future meeting for follow-up and additional options.
The committee did not adopt any regulatory change or formal traffic-control order at the meeting; members said further study and staff recommendations will return for committee consideration.
The discussion included repeated references to school-related pedestrian activity in the area, nearby recreational amenities that generate non-school pedestrian traffic, and resident reports of motorists exceeding the posted 35 mph speed limit. Staff and residents noted the traffic engineer’s collision summary showed two reported collisions in the last three years at the intersection; residents said additional unreported run-off incidents and property damage had occurred.
The committee thanked residents for attending and said staff would present findings and options at the committee’s next meeting for further consideration.
