Back in February, a Suttons Bay resident attended the monthly village council meeting with his two very young daughters and several of his neighbors, petitioning to change Strattons Way into a one-way street. These concerned citizens argued that fast, two-way traffic coming along this narrow road between M-204 and Concord Street could pose a danger to these children living here.
While the village council appeared to be mostly receptive to the idea from the beginning, altering the traffic flow to only allow vehicles going northeast would require a traffic control order (TCO) from the state police. Village staff reportedly believe that a TCO is unlikely, partly because there is no real history of safety incidents on this street.
Monday, the council appeared to have arrived at a solution that will make the street safer for younger residents of the village without requiring a TCO: placing “no thru traffic” signs on M-204. These signs, it is hoped, will limit the number of vehicles passing through this one-block-long stretch of road, and could be an initial step towards placing “do not enter” signs in the future.
Also at their April regular meeting, the village council:
• Supported Suttons Bay Schools’ request to upgrade their championship signs underneath the “village limit” signs on M-22. Pending approval from the Michigan Department of Transportation, the new sign will read: “Norsemen State Champs – Boys Golf & DH Skiing – Girls XC & Cheer.”
• Supported the installation of a cultural marker outside Suttons Bay Library, on the side facing the bay, as part of the Kchi Wiikwedong Anishinaabe History Project.
• Issued a right-of-way permit to Brightspeed of Michigan for access and ongoing usage of public rights-of-way for a telecommunications
