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Residents raise safety and maintenance concerns on Warrens Way as growth continues
Summary
At the West Kennebunk Village Committee meeting May 14, residents told the committee that truck traffic tied to new development has worsened conditions on Warrens Way; town data shows the road was designated for full reconstruction and DOT crash thresholds have not been met for a separate Alfred/Mills/Thompson intersection study.
Residents at the West Kennebunk Village Committee meeting on May 14 urged the committee and town officials to address deteriorating conditions on Warrens Way, saying heavy truck traffic from nearby construction has accelerated pavement damage and raised safety concerns.
Minutes show the Town scanned Warrens Way and designated it a "red road," meaning the road will require full reconstruction. A community member said trucks associated with new developments have increased wear on the road and that construction companies have not been required to carry out post-construction road repairs. Meeting minutes also record that the water department extended a water main from Alfred Road to Coastal Pines but that Warrens Way residents were not offered access to connect to the new line.
Residents expressed related frustration about the Eastern Trail expansion, saying the trail alignment did not follow Warrens Way and that tree removal for other alignments was upsetting neighbors. Several residents said the Town has not provided sufficient information about the trail plans.
Committee materials reviewed crash data from 2022 onward: the minutes state Kennebunk recorded 972 crashes in that period, with 16 at the Alfred/Mills/Thompson intersection and 42 at Mill Street. According to the minutes, those counts did not meet the threshold that would trigger a formal safety analysis by the Maine Department of Transportation, and DOT therefore has not initiated a safety study at those intersections.
Select Board Liaison Miriam Whitehouse responded to a separate speed concern raised at the meeting, describing typical speed-study methodology used by the town: signs may be removed and traffic monitored over a period to determine the average observed speed, which is then used to set or adjust posted limits. Whitehouse suggested additional signage and recommended bringing the issue to a Coffee with a Cop event so residents could discuss enforcement and road-safety options with police.
The committee did not record any formal motion or vote specific to Warrens Way repairs during this meeting. The minutes indicate the committee will continue to raise infrastructure and public-safety concerns with the Town and included the topic among items the WKVC plans to follow up on.
The meeting adjourned at 7:10 p.m.
