Cope Street resident seeks slower speeds

After battling speeding traffic on her street for the past year, one local resident is asking McMinnville officials for help to stop the speeders. The request was presented at a recent meeting of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen.

According to the petition presented by Donna Laird, vehicles speed through her residential area on Cope Street at high speeds. Cope Street is located off Beersheba Street near Rocket Park.

?I?m asking the city to place a speed limit sign of 15 mph on our street,? said Laird. ?People speed through the area all the time.?

After being told that the proper channel to go through would be to call McMinnville Police Department and let them do a survey, Laird said she has tried that, as well as calling Public Works. According to Laird, the calls ended with no help.

?I?ve been trying to get a sign placed for a year now,? said Laird. ?We have many young children who live on the street.?

To show the need for a sign, Laird presented a petition to the board which she says has been signed by every person who lives on the street.

According to Laird, it?s not just passenger vehicles that speed down the street but also company trucks. It?s situation that amazes Laird because she says the street is a dead-end street.

During the meeting, Mayor Royce Davenport asked McMinnville Police Department to do a survey of the street. After the survey has been completed, Davenport requested Public Works director Bill Brock to make a recommendation about the need for a reduced speed limit sign in that area.