Depew trustees hold public hearing on proposed stop sign at Lee, Howard and George streets

The Village of Depew Board of Trustees held a public hearing Feb. 10 on whether to install a stop sign at the intersection of Lee Street, Howard Lane and George Street, where residents say speeders endanger school bus riders and pedestrians.

The hearing was authorized by the board and opened at 7:08 p.m.; board members closed the hearing at 7:18 p.m. after several residents described near misses and a past crash at the intersection. No vote to install the sign was taken that night; the board indicated it would address the matter at a future meeting.

The issue drew several residents who said the corner sees heavy, fast traffic and lacks sidewalks where children wait for buses. ‘‘I’ve lived on Lee Street for 12 years. I’ve witnessed a crash at that intersection. I’ve seen near misses driving up and down that street,’’ said Jessica Smith Overholtz, identifying herself as a Lee Street resident. She said drivers often approach at high speed and that school bus stops leave children standing without sidewalks.

Patricia Quinn, who said she lives at 105 Lee Street at the three-way corner, told trustees a bus driver refused to require a kindergartner to cross multiple streets in the dark and instead picked the child up at the driveway. ‘‘Without the stop sign it makes me very anxious for my boys to walk over and ride their bikes over because people do come around that bend very quickly,’’ Quinn said.

Another resident said substitutes or unfamiliar drivers sometimes move stops for safety, but that practice is inconsistent. Several speakers said they had contacted the school district about stop placement; others said community members sometimes call police after near misses. Board members asked clarifying questions about bus-stop locations and visibility at the curve.

Chief McNamara of the Depew Police Department was asked to comment but did not make a substantive statement during the hearing. Mayor Kevin Peterson told speakers the board would take the comments into account and said, ‘‘We’ll have this resolved by two weeks from now,’’ indicating the board planned further consideration at an upcoming meeting.

The board’s initial action was procedural: it authorized the village administrator to advertise a public hearing on the proposed stop sign and then opened and closed that public hearing. Any formal decision to install traffic control devices, including the sign requested by residents, would require a subsequent board action following the hearing and review by village staff and the police department.

The public hearing record will be part of the trustees’ consideration; trustees asked residents to provide specific observations and noted the village will examine sight lines, bus-stop locations and enforcement options before taking a final vote.

Two trustees moved the motions to open and to close the hearing; both motions carried. The board set a follow-up on the matter at a future meeting.