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Residents urge Route 14 safety measures; council and staff defend 3 Oaks pedestrian design
Summary
A resident told the council dozens of pedestrians gather near Route 14 and suggested bollards for protection; council members also addressed online criticism about bike access at 3 Oaks and a city official explained that engineering constraints make the trail unsuitable for bicycles.
During the public presentation portion of the April 21 meeting, Jim (speaker 11) told the council that Route 14 by the ice cream shop draws 'like 30, 40, 50... kids, adults, parents' and said a single car blowout could endanger people close to the roadway. He suggested installing bollards and said he had tried to report the issue through the city's website but found the council-email button unresponsive.
The Moderator thanked him and said the city would check the website button and consider safety options. Jim emphasized the proximity of pedestrians to the travel lane and urged stronger protections.
Later in the meeting, council members addressed heated online comments about 3 Oaks, defending the trail project and noting that the trail was intended for pedestrians. A council member suggested enforcement measures or an ordinance if necessary to prevent bicycle use on the pedestrian-only sections. City engineering/parks staff (speaker 16) explained the technical reasons: to redesign the trail to safely accommodate bicycles would have required extensive grading and multiple retaining walls (one estimated at about 18 feet tall), and the existing tight curves and switchbacks make accommodating bikes infeasible without major reconstruction.
Council members said they value the public input, that the city owns 3 Oaks and sets permitted uses, and that they will consider enforcement or possible fines if riders disregard rules. Staff said the city considered bicycle accommodation during design but concluded the site conditions made it impractical.
