Residents and business owners told the City of Pacific operations committee Oct. 30 that Candlewick Lane has persistent safety problems from speeding passenger vehicles and large trucks coming out of an industrial park.

"He was going at least 50 miles an hour when he hit the industrial park," resident Thomas Love said, describing an incident on Candlewick. Love urged signage and additional enforcement and proposed several sign locations approaching the industrial park.

Public Works staff said they have deployed radar-monitoring signs that collect counts and speeds and are evaluating software that would allow near–real-time monitoring of traffic on paved streets. Staff emphasized, however, that signage alone is ineffective without enforcement and said the city lacks the staffing and budget for persistent enforcement on every corridor.

The committee also discussed physical traffic-calming devices. The fire marshal supplied written guidance noting that "traffic calming devices shall be prohibited unless approved by the fire code official" (fire code section cited in the meeting as 503.4.1), and noted concerns including slower emergency response, potential vehicle damage and snow‑plow operations. Staff said the lack of storm sewers on parts of Candlewick would also complicate installing speed humps; the committee said stormwater work would be a prerequisite to physical humps in certain sections.

Alderman Owen moved and Alderman Stewart seconded a motion requesting a staff cost estimate for Candlewick Lane stormwater improvements, with speed‑hump options included for planning purposes. The motion carried by voice vote. Staff will return cost estimates and recommended locations to a future operations meeting.

Votes at a glance: Motion to request Candlewick Lane stormwater and speed-hump cost estimates — outcome: approved by voice vote.