PARIS — The Board of Selectmen agreed with residents that more police presence instead of a stop sign is the first move to prevent speeding on a dangerous three-way intersection off Mount Mica Road.

In a unanimous decision Monday night, the board rejected the advice of interim police Chief Jerry Hinton and Road Commissioner Dan Nowell to place a stop sign at the intersection of Mount Mica Road at Tremont Street and Christian Ridge Road as a way to prevent potential accidents.

The vote followed a 40-minute public hearing, during which many of the 30 residents present voiced concern that the stop sign would only encourage rear-end collisions and cause potential lawsuits against the town.

“Is the town prepared for a lawsuit?” asked Jackie Lynch, a 30-year resident of Mount Mica Road.

Saying the road had a well-established traffic pattern, she and others suggested the placement of a stop sign on a blind intersection would create a “dangerous” intersection. There have been no accidents recorded at the intersection in the past five years, according to information provided by Town Manager Amy Bernard.

The public hearing was set after a taxpayer, who owns property at the corner of Mount Mica and Tremont Street, complained that his attempt to subdivide the property was thwarted by the Planning Board, which said the intersection was “too dangerous” for the project.

According to information from Bernard, the intersection from Mount Mica Road is blind because of a crest in the hill. “Driving west, you do not see the intersection until you are at the top of the hill, which is not more than 40 feet from the intersection,” said Bernard in her report to the Board of Selectmen.

Bernard said both the interim police chief and Nowell believe a three-way stop sign would be the best solution. Mount Mica would have a stop sign at the intersection with a warning sign stating, “stop sign ahead” below the crest of the hill, said Bernard.

But area residents disagreed.

“Speed is the problem,” said Anne Stanley of Lincoln Street, who walks and drives on the road daily. “Controlling the speed is what really needs to be done.”

Residents said it is not unusual for motorists to drive as fast as 60 miles per hour on the road. If they were to suddenly come up the hill and see a stop sign, many residents said it would be likely they would slam on their brakes and at least be struck by a car behind them.

Selectmen agreed the next step should be better enforcement of the speed limit.

“Safety is the issue,” Selectman Robert Wessels said.