McMinnville officials have given final approval to stop all traffic at the intersection of Westwood Drive and Rivermont Drive.

The additional signs will be placed next week.

“We’ve contacted 811 and we have to give them time to respond,” said Brad Hennessee, city Public Works assistant director. “We called Wednesday after the measure passed Tuesday night. It will probably be the first of next week before the stop signs are installed.”

Calling 811 before digging protects from unintentionally hitting underground utility lines. There are millions of miles of buried utilities beneath the surface of the earth that are vital to everyday living like water, electricity and natural gas. By utilizing the free service a few days before digging, homeowners, as well as city employees, can prevent injury, damage, and potential fines and repair costs.

Second and final reading passed 4-1. Alderman Mike Neal vote against it. Aldermen Ben Newman and Everett Brock were absent.

 “I went over there and looked at it,” said Neal. “I guess the reason I voted against it the first time, and will probably vote against this time, is because the data doesn’t support the need for this. I agree that there is a little bit of a hill there but there’s probably 500 of those little hills in the city of McMinnville. I’m all for safety, but I believe there’s some personal responsibility issues and some parental responsibility issues that may contribute to this.”

Residents in the area requested the city place the three-way stop to slow motorists and improve safety due to the number of children moving into the area.
The signs will be placed by McMinnville Public Works Department.