Council to discuss new crosswalks, safety measures around Hall-Kent Elementary

A traffic flow study and a series of crosswalks around Hall-Kent Elementary are part of the measures public safety committee members approved tonight for additional student safety while traveling to and from school.

The discussion began after a young boy was struck by a car on Kent Drive while walking home from school, which prompted his family and neighbors to begin petitioning for new safety measures such as crosswalks, sidewalks and a crossing guard, as well as making Kent a one-way street during drop-off and pick-up times.

The police found that speed was not relevant in the incident, and a study of traffic presented at the Sept. 25 public safety committee meeting showed that the average speed on Kent during the afternoon was 26 miles-per-hour. The congestion of carpool and pick-up lines, as well as parents attempting to exit the area in different directions, were cited by the family of the boy as sources of danger for kids who walk home.

Carie Gancy, the mother of the seven-year-old who was struck, said she would like to see Kent become more like Hall Avenue, on the other side of the school, during heavy-traffic hours with one-way traffic, crosswalks and a 15 mph speed limit.

“Hall has all these great things. Kent has zero,” Gancy said.

In studying the area around the school, city planner Vanessa McGrath suggested crosswalks in multiple locations for better pedestrian flow: at the intersection of Kent Drive and Cobb Street; across Cobb to connect to existing sidewalk leading to South Wood Road; at the intersection of Grove Street and Allen Avenue; and across Kent Lane near the Chastain Park apartments.

Linda Gancy, the grandmother of the boy and creator of a safety petition, did not feel these measures were enough.

“That’s not going to eliminate any of that congestion. If the city and the school made this a carpool lane, they need to make it safe,” she said. “It is not going to be safe just by making a crosswalk … and I will keep at it until we have something resolved.”

Discussion among committee members added a flashing school zone sign for eastbound traffic on Raleigh Avenue and a plan to reduce speed limits on Kent to the to-do list. Since changing carpool lines or adding another police officer as a crossing guard would require action on the school system's part, the committee decided to set a meeting between police and school officials.

Finally, the committee also voted in favor of funding a study of traffic flow by an engineering firm to come up with more efficient ways to move cars and pedestrians through the area.

“I think we’ve got some good suggestions that can help and move along in the right direction,” said Ward 5 Representative Peter Wright, who noted that Edgewood had a similar comprehensive traffic plan created several years ago.

The proposal for crosswalks, signage and the traffic study will come before the full council at  their next meeting on Oct. 9. In the meantime, Ward 5 Representative Jennifer Andress also asked the police department to do more targeted enforcement in the area.

Along with discussion of Kent Drive, the special issues committee also briefly discussed a new odor resolution at tonight's meeting. City attorney Mike Kendrick said he would like an additional 30 days to study and incorporate feedback he has received into a final draft of the ordinance.

Kendrick said the ordinance will work similar to other odor ordinances he has read, in that there will have to be at least three complaints of a smell within a to-be-determined time frame in order to classify it as an "odor event" that falls within the ordinance's jurisdiction. Once identified, the source of any such odors will have a time frame to fix the problem before the city pursues more serious solutions.

“This ordinance is not an instant gratification ordinance,” Kendrick cautioned.

Additionally, Kendrick said he has had trouble finding an expert for the city to hire or contract with for determining the source of any future odor problems. In addition to needing expertise, the person or firm must also be close enough to Homewood that they can arrive on-site before any smells dissipate. The complexity of the odor discussions with Buffalo Rock and Barber Dairy since October 2015 have taught the council that this is something they don't have the knowledge to handle alone.

“It’s over your head. It’s over my head, too,” Kendrick said.

The discussion was carried over to give Kendrick time to complete a final draft.