Monroe County reported six collisions at the intersections of Dillman Road and Old State Road 37 in 2021. The county is now looking to fix the problematic intersection.
County commissioners on Wednesday approved a $32,000 traffic study for the area, which could ultimately result in the installation of a roundabout.
“Having gone down that road often enough, you come up over a hill and suddenly you’re at that intersection,” commissioner Penny Githens said. “It feels dangerous.”
Highway department director Lisa Ridge said the county already installed rumble strips, signs, and flashing lights to the intersection.
“We want to take the next step and do an analysis,” Ridge said. “This is the beginning process of helping to improve that intersection in the future.”
Ridge said any data collected through the study would help the county secure funding for the project later down the road.
The company hired to conduct the study, USI consultants, will complete a draft report on the intersection within 75 days, and then publish a final study 30 days after owner review.
Dollar General
Commissioners denied a property rezone that would have allowed a Dollar General at 440 E. Sample Road. The petition bounced around the county plan commission for six months before arriving in front of the commissioners Wednesday.
Commissioner Julie Thomas said the project would be an example of “spot zoning,” and it did not fit into the county’s comprehensive plan.
“I just don’t think changing the environment on Sample Road is worth it for an out-of-state developer,” commissioner Julie Thomas said.
Commissioner Githens said she wasn’t convinced the Dollar General was a grocery, despite the store selling fresh produce in some locations. Thomas agreed and said she might have supported the rezone if a local owner tried to establish a type of farmers’ market.
“If we’re addressing a food desert issue, then it should be a food emporium,” Thomas said.
