Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Traffic Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
San Juan County staff to finalize Lopez Village standard plans as committee presses for traffic and pedestrian safety fixes
Summary
Public Works staff said they will finalize standard plans adopted in 2019 and will coordinate with the Lopez Village Planning Review Committee on constructability and village safety concerns; committee members pressed for a study and quicker coordination on Weeks Road crosswalks and sight‑line issues.
San Juan County Public Works told the Lopez Village Planning Review Committee it will complete and submit the standard plans associated with the Lopez Village subarea plan to the county engineer for final approval and then return to the committee with updated, enforceable documents.
Jesse Douglas Sites of Public Works said the standard plans (09/11 through 09/17) were adopted as part of the Lopez Village subarea plan but remain in draft/signature form and need county‑engineer signoff. Sites said Public Works will review geometric details — curb return radii, intersection geometry and similar items — to make sure contractors can construct them.
Committee members emphasized that constructability alone does not solve immediate life‑safety concerns in the village. Members raised several problem locations: a mid‑block crosswalk adjacent to the Lopez Village Market that lands on utility boxes and is rarely used, sight‑line obstructions near the community center and skate park, and potential backups and pedestrian conflicts on Weeks Road as new housing comes online.
Public Works discouraged mid‑block crosswalks but suggested alternatives, including aligning crossings with stop signs or installing localized speed‑calming devices and mobile radar signs. Sites said speed bumps on a longer stretch are unlikely to achieve the desired effect and can generate noise complaints; stop signs and temporary enforcement by the sheriff’s office were raised as options.
The committee asked Public Works to help scope a focused traffic study for Weeks Road and agreed to send a list of priority locations and concerns to Sofia Castle, the DCD liaison. "If there's a specific development or specific street that you're particularly interested, I'd be the point of contact to get that going," Sites said. The committee scheduled a follow‑up special meeting to coordinate with Public Works within two weeks.
The discussion highlights a recurring issue for small‑town growth: reconciling adopted plan standards and the practical need for near‑term safety interventions as development adds traffic to constrained village streets.
