Indian Trail council tables Kiwi Circle abandonment after residents and staff flag legal and access concerns

A petition to abandon part of Kiwi Circle in the Rushing Park subdivision drew packed public comment and a detailed staff presentation Tuesday, and the Indian Trail Town Council voted unanimously to table the matter while staff researches temporary-closure authority and related legal issues.

The request, brought forward by resident and applicant John Evans, seeks to close one entrance to the loop of Kiwi Circle to reduce cut-through traffic and speeding he and neighbors say endanger pedestrians. Evans told the council the neighborhood has narrow streets and trees and that frequent speeding — including trucks and construction vehicles — had caused two homes to be struck over the past 15 years. "I urge the town council to move forward on this petition and close one entrance along the road so that we can have some peace and quiet," Evans said.

Town staff told council that a neighborhood petition showed roughly 70 percent support. "My spreadsheet originally showed 24 signatures; that was actually 22 due to duplicate ownership, but it's still in that 70 percent range," the presenting staff member said, noting most homeowners contacted by staff expressed support, two opposed the closure and two did not respond to outreach.

But opponents and some council members urged caution. Long-time resident Miss Helms, who has lived on Kiwi Circle since 1969, presented traffic tallies she said showed very high peak-period flows and warned that removing the public right-of-way could eliminate convenient pedestrian and bicycle access to sidewalks and future road improvements. "We have no sidewalks, so we have to walk in the street and it is definitely not safe," she said.

Staff also advised the council that abandoning the right-of-way would require work with NCDOT on stormwater easements and could convert part of the former public road into private driveways that must be negotiated and maintained by property owners. Councilmembers noted practical and legal constraints: emergency-access concerns, the effect of the upcoming Chestnut Parkway/Monroe Road changes on traffic patterns, and whether a temporary closure — rather than permanent abandonment — could address safety while preserving future options.

After deliberation, Councilmember Marcus McIntyre moved to table the abandonment until the next council meeting and to direct staff to research whether the town meets statutory standards for a temporary closure and to report back within two weeks. The motion passed unanimously.

Next steps: staff will return with a legal review of temporary-closure authority, potential design alternatives (including pedestrian-only access), and updated outreach documentation. The public hearing was held; council will consider a decision after the requested follow-up is provided.