JAY — Selectmen voted unanimously Monday to reinstall a “dead end” sign on Otis Street at the corner of Route 4 and add a “local residents only” sign to slow traffic until a public hearing is held next month to determine traffic flow.

Selectmen scheduled the public hearing at 6 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 12, at the town office.

The decision came after some residents complained of safety issues with Otis Street, which intersects with Pine Street, being a through-street and Pine Street a two-way street. However, there were also people from Otis Street, presenting a petition with 13 signatures, who want Otis Street to remain a through-street.

The issue arose last week when Town Manger Ruth Cushman had the “do not enter” and “one way” street signs on Pine Street taken down to make Otis Street a through-street and Pine Street, a two-way. Previously traffic from Otis Street could not access Pine Street because traffic could only go one way on Pine.

Pine Street was never voted on to be a one-way street, Cushman said.

One reason why the signs were removed was that it helped ease traffic delays due to ongoing construction on Route 4.

Yoland Gauvin, a resident of the area, said having traffic going both ways on Pine Street is dangerous due to blind spots and the narrowness of the road. He wants the one-way sign put back on Pine Street from Otis to Maple streets.

Gail Dolan, who presented selectmen with the petition in favor of a through-street, said she would like to see it continue the way it is now. With all the construction, Dolan, who lives on Otis Street, said it takes her 20 minutes to get to Food City. If Otis is a through-street and Pine a two-way, she could go the back way, she said.

William Taylor, who lives on Pine Street where it connects with Otis, said that he also agrees it is a safety issue.

Bob Redmond of Otis Street also said he favored it as a through-street.

“It’s just not wide enough,” Cindy Gauvin, Yoland’s wife said. “It is so unsafe.”

She asked that it be put back the way it was. She said local residents are cautious on those roads but those who don’t know the roads are traveling too fast.

“I agree with people who want it one-way,” board Chairman Steve McCourt said. He traveled Otis Street for the first time Monday and said there were blind spots in areas.

Selectman Tim DeMillo said it was never a one-way street and he believes 98 percent of the problem is the construction, and when it is done, it won’t be a problem anymore. He suggested the roads remain as a through-street until construction is over for the winter.

The problem with making it a local-residents-only street, police Chief Larry White Sr. said, is that he cannot enforce it. There is no ordinance that makes Pine Street a one-way, he said.

Selectman Amy Gould and White suggested a compromise of reinstalling the dead-end street sign.

McCourt said local residents would know that the road is now a through-street but those not from the area wouldn’t.

Gould made the motion to put the dead-end sign back up on Otis Street to try to keep the road to local residents only and hold a public hearing to get comments on it.

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