Montrose council undecided on Cedar St. one-way

BY REGGE EPISALE
Correspondent

There was a great deal of discussion at the Monday, Dec. 7, Montrose Borough Council meeting regarding Cedar Street, a small street that runs from Cherry Street up past the HO Mart to Church Street.

Due to multiple accidents on that street resulting in serious damage to the corner home at 391 Cherry Street. At the November council meeting it was decided that the street would be one-way for a trial period of 30 days with the entrance being from Cherry Street.

Council member Tony Pickett submitted requirements for two-lane streets from the Federal Highway Administration stating that each lane must be a minimum of 9 feet. Cedar Street is just barely 18 feet wide with no shoulder or sidewalk. The report also said that at 25 miles per hour, a driver needs to be able to see a stop sign at least 141 feet ahead of the stop.

On Cedar Street a driver can’t see the stop sign until they are 44 feet away. As these recommendations are for dry conditions, the stop time in winter weather will be much longer. He presented that the space is limited, there is heavy pedestrian travel, there have been multiple accidents and more near-misses and that large trucks, and even some cars, cannot make a left-hand turn from Cedar Street onto Cherry Street without risking the rear of the vehicle striking the house at 391 Cherry Street.

He stated that now that the Federal Highway Administration guidelines are known, the borough has an obligation to recognize that Cedar Street does not meet the qualifications to be a two-lane street.

He presented a petition signed by 110 people who listed their residences as within the immediate area and who requested that Cedar Street permanently one-way.

A letter was presented to the council from Attorneys Marion O’Malley and Michael Briechle, who have law offices on Cedar Street, to support making Cedar Street one-way.

Chief Smith said that drivers had been stopping on Cherry Street to wait for cars to come out of Cedar because there isn’t room to turn onto Cedar with another car there. The stopped cars create a dangerous situation, he said. He added that since Cedar Street was temporarily made one-way, there is less traffic from drivers who are trying to avoid the traffic light and construction on Church Street by cutting across the parking lot behind Tannery Place and taking Cedar Street to Cherry Street.

Art Waltz, owner of 391 Cherry Street, stated that in three years his house has been hit four times. He produced pictures of substantial damage to the outside of his home. Because a main corner support was hit outside, the pictures also show major damage to the inside walls. His house has five doors, two of which face Cedar Street. Because of how narrow the street is, those two doors actually open into traffic. The pictures show that the street itself abuts the side of his house on one side and the neighbor’s house on the other. When the house was built in 1850 there wasn’t a road there.

Lisa Hitchcock, owner of Lisa’s Cutting Edge, 122 Cedar Street, says that by making Cedar Street one-way with access from Cherry Street, she is losing business. She produced a petition signed by 370 individuals supporting her position. She said people see her shop from Church Street and coming that way can turn directly into her parking lot. Her business depends on traffic flow, which has been drastically cut. She said her customers are complaining that because the entrance from Cherry Street to Cedar Street is so small it is hard for drivers to find the turn.

Hitchcock suggested posting a reduced speed limit from 25 mph to 10 or 15 mph. She also stated that even with the one-way sign, traffic is still going both ways. She pointed out that many streets in the old town don’t meet the Federal Highway Administration guide lines.

Pickett countered that even at 15 mph reaction time and stopping time requires a driver have 80 feet of sight before a stop sign, and the visibility on Cedar Street is only 44 feet.

Public comments and suggestions included prohibiting trucks from turning left onto Cherry Street or from being allowed on Cedar Street at all, and reducing the speed limit.

Chief Smith said not allowing a left-hand turn might work.

Council member Randy Schuster would like to see the no left-turn and reduced speed considered an option.

Pickett made a motion that Cedar Street be permanently made one-way with access from Cherry Street, seconded by Skinner. The motion was failed to achieve a majority of council’s support.

Skinner then made a motion that the 30 day one-way be extended another 30 days, Reimel seconded it, and the motion was approved by the council.

The matter will be discussed further in January after council members have had more time to review options.

Julanne Skinner requested to amend the minutes from the November meeting regarding the proposal to supply water from Lake Montrose to the county jail and a business facility being proposed in that area.

She indicated that there needs to be a baseline established as to current water quality in order to ascertain if there is any detriment to the water quality in the future. She also indicated that the borough has the authority have a water test done.

Ken DiPhillips, Street Department Supervisor, requested a survey be conducted by PennDot to determine whether or not a mid-block crosswalk can be recreated so pedestrians can cross from Maple Street to the Methodist Church on Church Street. The council voted to request the survey.

DiPhillips indicated that there has been illegal dumping of trees and stumps at the Agricultural Recycling Center. Leaves, twigs, and branches no larger than four inches are accepted at the site to be recycled as mulch and other products used in Montrose. Because of the large trees and stumps being dumped there, a clean-up is underway which can cost the borough as much as $4,500 if new machinery needs to be brought in.

The discussion was tabled until the next meeting to give council members time to research alternatives.

Chief of Police Dale Smith reported that the Montrose Borough Police Department now has a Facebook page which is being well received.

Public bids to install a natural gas generator at the Montrose Borough Building were reviewed and discussed. The plan is to use the borough building as an emergency shelter in case of a major disaster. The motion was made, seconded, and approved to award the contract to Spectrum Electrical Service of Montrose.

The council adopted the 2016 Tax Ordinance with the millage rate remaining the same as 2015 with no increase or decrease. The advertised 2016 budget was approved.