Town of North Salem to consider new stop sign in Salem Chase neighborhood

The Town of North Salem will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, April 25 to consider whether to add a stop sign at the intersection of Whip Mill Lane and Cider Lane in the Town’s Salem Chase neighborhood. The public hearing was scheduled following a request from a homeowner, citing the frequent high speeds of drivers exiting the neighborhood and the fact that the intersection is a school bus stop.

Dennis Gamiello and his wife Marissa live at the intersection in question. The couple are parents to three elementary-aged children and have witnessed more than one close call between drivers and pedestrians, including the many children who gather at the corner's bus stop in the mornings and afternoons. “That’s the thing that makes me the most nervous,” Gamiello said. “It’s an honest mistake a driver can make without the right traffic guidance in the area.”

Image courtesy of Google Maps

The Salem Chase neighborhood is set over a mile back from Route 22 at the southern end of North Salem. Drivers entering the neighborhood proceed along a tree-lined roadway before entering the development. While incoming drivers encounter a stop sign once they reach the residential area, there’s no stop sign for vehicle operators exiting the neighborhood.

“Two of the corners have stop signs; the one that needs it the most doesn’t,” Gamiello said. “It goes from a quiet neighborhood to one where people can pick up speeds of up to 50 mph.”

Hlushko said that if the proposal is approved by town residents, it will be submitted to New York State. “As soon as the State acknowledges receipt, it’s officially a law and can be enforced,” she said.

Gamiello is optimistic that residents will approve the measure. “Getting ahead of a tragedy is the hope here."