Milton council pumps brakes on all-way stop plans

The fate of Milton turning two intersections in town into all-way stops hit a roadblock at town council’s April 3 meeting when council was deadlocked on ratifying resolutions that would have allowed plans to move forward.

In question are proposals to turn intersections at Chestnut/Wharton/Atlantic streets and Federal/Mulberry/Wharton streets into all-way stops. In the case of Chestnut/Wharton/Atlantic, the town is also planning to add sidewalk improvements and handicapped-accessible ramps as part of an overall intersection improvement. Changes to the intersection of Federal/Mulberry/Wharton were recommended by Delaware Department of Transportation as part of its traffic-impact study related to the Granary at Draper Farm development, which when built out over a 20-year period, is expected to add more than 1,300 homes to the town. 

A matter that had previously been approved by unanimous vote got so contentious at council’s April 3 meeting that council had to take a 15-minute recess to let cooler heads prevail. For how council got there, it requires going back to October, when council unanimously approved moving forward with design work for the intersection of Chestnut/Wharton/Atlantic and voted 6-1, with Councilman Fred Harvey voting no, for moving forward with all-way stop plans at Federal/Mulberry/Wharton, both intersections noted for having obstructed sight lines. The improvements at Chestnut/Wharton/Atlantic would be paid for using excess real estate transfer tax revenue that Sussex County gave to its municipalities, of which Milton received $310,000. 

In October, council made its requests via written letter, but DelDOT asked council to submit its request in the form of a resolution. At council’s March meeting, the resolution for Chestnut/Atlantic/Wharton streets passed by a 5-2 vote, with Harvey and Councilwoman Lee Revis-Plank voting no, while the resolution for Federal/Mulberry/Wharton passed 4-3, with Councilman Larry Savage joining Harvey and Revis-Plank in opposition. Council had also proposed doing all-way stops at Mulberry and Lavinia streets and at Mulberry/Magnolia/Lake Avenue, but those were dropped after DelDOT told the town it would not support changes at those intersections. 

At council’s April meeting, council members were asked to ratify votes taken in March, but complicating matters was that Councilwoman Annette Babich was not in attendance. In addition, members of the Milton Fire Department have been vocal in opposition to the plans, saying new stop signs would hinder emergency response times.

Councilwoman Randi Meredith made the motion to ratify the all-way stops plan for Chestnut/Wharton/Atlantic. That motion did not receive a second until new Councilman Scotty Edler seconded for the purpose of discussion. Council asked police Chief Derrick Harvey his opinion on whether all-way stops would hurt police response. Harvey said he did not think it would be an issue for the police department, but did not want to speak for the fire department. 

The matter then went to a vote, where Savage, Revis-Plank and Fred Harvey all voted no, while Meredith, Edler and Mayor John Collier all voted yes. With only six council members, the matter was deadlocked. Meredith then called for another vote, but the motion failed due to lack of a second. 

Meredith called council’s actions “despicable,” and then asked Collier for a recess. When council reconvened, Meredith mentioned that these plans were previously approved by unanimous vote before asking Savage why he changed his vote. Savage said it was his right to change his opinion on the matter. 

A vote was then taken on the Federal/Mulberry/Wharton intersection, and again, council deadlocked at 3-3. 

What happens next is still unknown. Town Manager Kristy Rogers said the town had already spent $50,000 of the money to begin design and planning work on the Chestnut/Wharton/Atlantic project, and if council chooses not to move forward, the town would have to return the county money and that $50,000 would have to be paid out of the town’s general fund. In addition, she said if council chooses to not go forward with the Chestnut/Wharton/Atlantic project but wants to use the county funds, she would need an alternate project that is planned, designed and engineered within 60 days. The county funding is limited in how it can be used, she said. The most ready project to go forward is sidewalk and road repairs at Chestnut Crossing, but Collier said the town can’t use the county funds there because the roads in Chestnut Crossing haven’t been dedicated to the town yet. 

“Nobody wants to change anything. The status quo remains as it is,” Collier said.