At Tuesday’s council meeting, one item on the agenda was a recommendation from the Traffic Commission to deny a request to install a gate on Sedley Avenue between Vinton Highlands and the newly-constructed Cove at Charter Oak subdivisions. That item was inexplicably deferred. So far, I haven’t been able to find out why it was deferred. I’ve e-mailed Councilman Bill Spears, who asked for the deferral, but received no response. Another citizen has called Public Works and been told that department doesn’t know why it’s been deferred either. While I haven’t driven out there myself, it’s apparent from the minutes of the public hearing that the gate has already been installed.

This seems to me like an open-shut case. There was a public hearing, and the majority of the people who spoke were against the gate. Those who spoke in favor of the gate said it was for one purpose only — to reduce traffic and make the neighborhoods safer. However, there is no evidence that there is currently any traffic problem or any reasonable cause to believe there will be a problem in the future. If traffic does become a problem, there are other traffic-calming methods that could be employed short of installing a gate.

So why the deferral? What is holding up the denial? Are there behind-the-scenes efforts to try to get this gate approved against the wishes of the residents and against the recommendations of the Traffic Commission and City Staff?