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Residents raise safety concerns about median on Rogers Road; council asks staff to request DOT review and install no‑U‑turn sign
Summary
Residents told the council that a DOT‑installed median and a right‑turn restriction at the Williams Pond development on Rogers Road have prompted drivers to mount the median, make illegal turns into adjacent neighborhoods and damage mailboxes and property.
Residents at the meeting described repeated incidents and property damage where a DOT traffic island and a 'right‑turn only' restriction near the Williams Pond development on Rogers Road have led drivers to mount the median or turn into adjacent residential streets.
Patrick Chang, a Pine Lake Drive resident, showed photos and said the developer or DOT installed a traffic barrier that requires a right‑turn into Williams Pond, which has led drivers seeking to go left to drive over the barrier or to turn right and then loop through Villas of Sun Valley. Chang and others said mailboxes had already been struck multiple times and that large vehicles (including an 18‑wheeler) have driven onto the median.
Neighbors told the council the pattern had produced congestion and backing across neighborhood entrances. "This is a traffic hazard," one resident said, adding the mailbox at 100 Pine Lake has been knocked down at least four times.
Town staff and council explained limits on the town’s authority: the median and left‑turn treatment are on a state road under NCDOT jurisdiction. Todd (town staff) described DOT policy that, where minimum left‑turn lanes are required on roads exceeding traffic thresholds (he said the DOT threshold is about 4,000 cars per day), DOT will pursue right‑of‑way acquisition with the developer but typically will not use state funds to condemn private property for private development improvements. If right‑of‑way cannot be acquired, DOT may install a raised island as an alternative.
Council and staff discussed short‑term enforcement and signage options. The council agreed to three actions: install a no‑U‑turn sign at the neighborhood edge under the town’s authority, ask the sheriff’s office for targeted enforcement in the area, and direct staff to send a formal letter to NCDOT’s Monroe office describing resident concerns and requesting reconsideration or further review.
Town Manager and staff encouraged residents to contact NCDOT directly as well, noting DOT typically requires crash data and sustained complaints to change installed traffic treatments.
Council members said they would continue to press the issue with DOT but cautioned that removing a DOT‑installed median would likely require developer cooperation or additional funding from the developer rather than from the state.
No formal ordinance or budget appropriation was enacted; the council’s direction to staff constitutes administrative follow‑up.
