New Storm Brewing Over Shore Woods Stop Sign; Proponents Say It's Needed to Control Speeding, Kitsap County Professionals Opposed It; Angry Residents Say, "Listen to Experts, Remove This Stop Sign!"

March 8, 2008 -- A growing number of residents are angry about a stop sign placed at the corner of Aspen and Ponderosa in the North Kitsap community of Shore Woods. The stop sign was promoted during the weeks in which the Road Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC) was formed by then chair Neal Kellner in 2005.  Documentation on the issue is scarce.

Kellner left the road safety group after the group opted to make speed bumps for Hood Canal Dr., Bridgeview Dr., and Twin Spits Rd., it's No. 1 priority. He is on record in the Greater Hansville Log as thanking then Kitsap County Commissioner Chris Endresen for providing the stop signs at his committee's request.  Kellner's house is at the intersection of Aspen and Ponderosa where the signs were placed.

For Shore Woods residents, the signs stand as daily a reminder of what they believe to be inappropriate road engineering by the road committee of the Greater Hansville Area Advisory Council (GHAAC). At the time the signs were placed, the road committee hadn't yet affiliated with GHAAC, however the committee now flies the GHAAC banner as it's source of legitimacy.

The legitimacy of GHAAC has, however, come into question as Driftwood Key (DK), the north end's largest home owner association, has told Kitsap County, in a formal registered letter, that Driftwood Key is not a member of GHAAC and that DK wants its own relationship with the county. In the letter, DK refers to GHAAC as a "shadow government."  The letter was signed by Bill Buegel, DK president, and endorsed unanimously by DK's Board of Trustees.

Kellner said that the signs were placed as a result of a citizen's petition requesting it.  However, repeated demands to Kitsap County indicate that no such petition could be found.  Questions remain as to whether a petition ever existed or if it failed to garner a enough signatures and was abandon by it's organizers.

County records show that Kitsap County professional staff opposed the installation of the stop signs saying:

• Speeding is not an issue on Ponderosa and Aspen.
• Even if speeding were an issue, stop signs are not to be used for the control of speeding according to national guidelines.
• Research shows that unwarranted stop signs are met with contempt by local residents who often ignore them.
• Unwarranted stop signs can open the county up for litigation because they create a false sense of security.
• There are no records of any serious accidents on Ponderosa.
• The unnecessary stops create undue wear and tear on vehicle brakes and increase fuel consumption.
• Stopping and starting on the hill at the sign will cause an increased hazard during snowy or icy conditions.

Residents plan to circulate a petition in the Shore Woods community to ask the county to take the advice of its own professional staff and have the signs removed.

Stay tuned for records related to this stop sign issue on our Public Records page.  If you'd like to get involved in the petition drive, contact info@beep4bumps.com and put Stop Sign in the subject.  Beep4bumps.com also welcomes your commentary on this subject.  We'd be happy to publish it on this page.  But more importantly, we encourage you to write to your county commissioners and public works department.