Select Board directs signage and temporary barricade at Searles School entrance, will revisit speed table proposal

The Select Board addressed speeding and cut-through vehicle traffic at the Searles School and Chapel driveway on June 29, after months of trustee discussion on installing speed tables. General Services Director Dennis Senibaldi told the board that speed tables could be visually unappealing and might only be effective if placed directly in front of the building; he proposed instead converting the intersection to exit-only or using signage and temporary barriers.

Members of the Highway Safety Committee and the Searles Trustees, including Bob Coole and Peter Griffin, argued driver behavior change is difficult with signage alone and said trustees had previously advocated for speed tables. Trustee Peter Griffin said he was frustrated trustees were not consulted on Senibaldi's new proposal.

The board approved two immediate motions, both unanimous (4-0): to install signage at the front entrance reading “No right turn,” and to support a temporary wire/plastic barricade or similar deterrent to prevent right turns. The board also agreed to revisit the larger question — including the trustees’ speed-table recommendation — at its August meeting. Town officials noted the timing sensitivity because a paving contractor was in town; if the board did not act on speed tables now, implementation could be delayed until the following year.