Amid safety concerns, Sandwich approves more stop signs for Fairwinds subdivision

As more people move into Fairwinds subdivision in Sandwich and the traffic continues to increase, city leaders are moving ahead to increase the number of stop signs in the subdivision.

Sandwich Mayor Todd Latham said residents in Fairwinds subdivision had voiced concerns about traffic safety as the subdivision continues to grow.

“The police chief was given the task of reviewing those locations and make a recommendation to the City Council,” Latham said.

At the Feb. 3 Sandwich City Council meeting, City Council members unanimously voted to amend the city’s municipal code and add six additional stop signs in the Fairwinds subdivision, located on the city’s northwest side.

That includes new stop signs at North Wind Drive at Autumn Ridge Road and Prairie Wind Drive, Prairie Wind Drive at Oakmont Court and Briarwood Court and South Wind Drive at Briarwood Court and Chestnut Circle.

There will be notification prior to the new stop signs being installed.

“It’s more of a safety mechanism to deter traffic crashes,” Sandwich Police Chief Kevin Senne said after the meeting. “Plus the entire east end of that subdivision has all the stop signs on those roads. So it’s just to balance out the west side, too. There are some T-intersections where there’s no stop sign whatsoever.”

The Sandwich Police Department conducted a traffic study to determine where the new stop signs should be placed.

“We went out there and looked at the way that the streets were configured, the way that the traffic was flowing and we looked at the way the east end of the subdivision was set up,” Senne said. “And it fell within the parameters of adding stop signs. By law, it fell within those parameters to allow for stop signs to be added there.”

Senne thinks the new stop signs will improve traffic safety in the subdivision. He said the department is constantly looking at ways to improve traffic safety throughout the city.