Staff writer
Debra Lilly addressed Peabody City Council members June 1 about traffic and noise violations in her neighborhood. Lilly lives at the corner of Locust and West Second streets.
She said she sees traffic that travels in Peabody where Second Street curves south and she feels vehicles are traveling too fast in such close proximity to the park, swimming pool, and the streets where children ride their bikes to get to those places.
“In addition, we now have the volleyball pit over there and kids head in that direction as well — mostly in the evenings or at dusk,” she said. “Someone is going to get hit. The traffic goes way too fast on Second Street and on Locust Street before and after the stop signs.”
She said there are no speed limit signs on those streets.
Peabody Police Chief Bruce Burke was at the meeting and said since the area is a residential area, it is not necessary to have a speed limit sign. He said the speed limit in any residential area is 30 mph.
“Well, the people that drive on that curve are going a lot faster than 30,” said Lilly.
Councilman Tom Schmidt suggested installing a couple of signs with the speed limit and asking the police officer on duty to increase his presence in that area. He also asked Burke to submit a written recommendation at the next meeting.
Lilly also had a concern about activity at the new volleyball pit installed by the Peabody-Burns Recreation Commission in 2009.
“The teenagers go over there after dark,” she said. “They are not playing volleyball, they are ‘hanging out’ and messing around. They pull their cars into a circle, leave the headlights on so they can see, and crank up their radios.
“I think some rules for use of the pit need to be posted,” she said. “I have to get up early to go to work. The lights shine into my house and the radios and yelling keep me awake. Now that it is summer, of course, it is worse.”
Peabody City Administrator Mac Manning told the council that without an ordinance any rules they established would not be enforceable.
Schmidt said he would be going to the next recreation commission meeting June 16 and would begin discussion with them on activity at the volleyball pit.
In other business:
A public hearing was held to determine the future of a nuisance property at 509 N. Locust St. Property owner Marvin Schmidt was present for the hearing. The council agreed to a 30-day extension for Schmidt.
Signage was approved for the new city shop/police office building at Ninth and Olive streets.
The city hired John Stanford to remove 17 tree stumps in Peabody parks for a total of $754.
Public works director Darren Pickens was instructed to get a quote for cleaning all the streets in Peabody to see if a professional organization would be cheaper than using city employees to do the work.
Pickens told the council that APAC will be cutting curbs to correct Americans with Disabilities Act compliance issues and Pickens recommended the city request an additional cut at Santa Fe Park. The recommendation was approved.
Manning reported he continues to work on the budget, millings from the street project have improved the park track surface, and repair work to Locust and Plum streets should end in a week or so. He also noted work is under way on smaller entry projects on Walnut and Sycamore streets.