Collins Urges Planning Board to Adopt Resolution

In the final moments before Bill Collins took the helm of the town of Summerville as mayor, he stood before the town's planning board "preaching to the choir," as planning board member Elaine Segelken said Monday during the regular meeting at town hall.

After a brief conversation between the soon-to-be mayor and board members, a resolution to pursue more research on improving Bacons Bridge Road was adopted unanimously. Instead of having a specific statement for road improvement, the resolution remained vague and encouraged more research from town council.

The burdened road has been selected to widen to a five-lane (sometimes referred to as a four-lane with a "suicide lane" for turning traffic in between). Collins doesn't want to see that happen and neither does the planning board, which cited it goes against the town's comprehensive plan.

The area of concern is the stretch of road between Old Trolley Road and Dorchester Road, home to residential neighborhoods.

"Thats one of our gateways into town ... that's not the way we want to see it," Segelken said.

Echoing that statement, board Chairman Jim Reaves said: "Five lanes on Bacons Bridge is totally the wrong thing to do."

Collins has repeatedly cited traffic as one of his top agenda items for his tenure.

"I've had some conversations with a number of different people and there seems to be a pretty strong feeling that five lanes at this point is not needed," Collins said. He said, instead, intersection improvements should be made.

According to Town Planner Madelyn Robinson, the comprehensive plan calls for a raised, landscaped median and four lanes in that section of road to ease traffic and to improve safety.

"What's in that plan is different from what Bill just said as far as intersection improvement," board Vice-Chair Charlie Cuzzell said.

Cuzzell said if a landscaped median might cost $3 million, perhaps it would be just as effective and perhaps cheaper to do intersection improvements, which may only cost $1 million. He also mentioned perhaps installing a separate bike trail along that section of road.

A special meeting of the planning board will be called in July to draft the resolution prior to the next town council meeting 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 13, at town hall, according to board members.