Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents press Hampton council to halt Shell Road closures and test traffic remedies
Summary
Residents from Greenbrier and surrounding neighborhoods urged the council to reconsider planned closures and a traffic pilot on Shell Road and nearby streets, citing emergency access, property impacts, and inadequate notice; staff defended a pilot approach, saying closures preserve pedestrian access and that emergency vehicles can pass.
Several Hampton residents on Monday urged the City Council to reconsider plans to close parts of Shell Road and adjacent streets as part of a traffic-control pilot, saying the closures could reroute traffic into private driveways, impede emergency access and otherwise injure long-standing neighborhood patterns.
Franklin Chambers, who lives near Shell and Greenbrier, said he feared vehicles would be forced into his circle driveway, potentially blocking emergency response and increasing hazardous turning maneuvers. “I don't understand how this decision was made and how that's gonna help the neighborhood,” Chambers said, asking the council to reconsider and try temporary measures first.
Charlene Thompson, whose house fronts Greenbrier Avenue, told the council 4-way stops already installed are not working and that drivers are "flying through" intersections; she requested stronger traffic-calming such as speed humps or a traffic signal. Aaron Weaver said prior warnings about closing Pine Chapel were ignored and warned incremental closures would push traffic to other roads; Joan Weaver said development decisions, including North Point and Phoenix Commerce Center, have harmed neighborhoods.
City staff, including Public Works and Community Development Director Mister Mitchell, told the council the proposed closures were intended as a pilot to test assumptions about traffic changes and that pilot barricades would block vehicular access while maintaining pedestrian paths. Mitchell said emergency vehicles, solid waste trucks and school buses can access similar or narrower streets and therefore should not be impeded. He also acknowledged the city’s public notice was insufficient — only about 25 residents attended an afternoon session — and said staff would work in partnership with neighborhoods and consider 30-, 60- or 90-day trial periods to evaluate outcomes.
Key details from the meeting: staff said temporary trials were considered (30/60/90 days) and that the city would leave pedestrian access open during closures; residents asked for alternatives such as speed humps or temporary measures. Staff committed to further engagement and to follow up on specific service-access questions.
Next steps: staff said they would continue neighborhood engagement and report back; no council action to adopt permanent street closures or changes was recorded at the meeting.
