Some Upset About New Sign In Stafford Hollow Historic District

STAFFORD, CT — A new pedestrian crossing sign, or as some call it, a "flashing yellow abomination," has recently been placed near the eastern end of Old Monson Road, causing consternation among some residents who feel it disrupts the historic nature of the Stafford Hollow village.

The large bright yellow sign, which contains flashing LED illumination, was erected directly across the street from the Universalist Church, built in 1845 and included in an inventory of buildings listed on an application for status on the National Register of Historic Places, which was granted in 1987.

A new crosswalk has been added leading from TTM Technologies, a global printed circuit board manufacturer and one of the town's top employers. The company owns a parking lot across the street from the plant, adjacent to the church.

Just east of the crosswalk, the roadway drops significantly toward the junction of Leonard Road by Riverside Pond. The Leonard Road bridge over Furnace Brook has been closed since spring 2018, forcing motorists needing to travel on Leonard and Upper roads to follow a detour which takes them to Murphy Road to Old Monson Road.

On the "Stafford Springs Discussion Page" on Facebook, most residents stated their opposition to the new sign, though a few said the new setup would assist in the safety of TTM employees crossing the street to the parking lot. Among the comments and suggestions are:

• "I understand that the safety of the TTM folks crossing the street should trump aesthetics every time, but... Flashing LEDs? Historic district? There’s a better solution out there than this. There has to be."
• "When something has worked for 150 years, it's always worth spending more to fix what isn't broken."
• "It’s because of the parking lot next to the church, which belongs to TTM. People have been complaining for quite awhile about trying to cross the road, particularly after dark, and the cars flying by. I don’t know that a bright yellow flashing light was the right solution. A sign and painted crosswalk may have done the trick."
• "Fixing the damn bridge would do the trick! I am always mindful of TTM employees crossing in that area. I just wish they would be just as mindful when pulling out of their parking lot or the church. Been a close call too many times."
• "Looking both ways before crossing and not at a phone might help too. I've seen some just walk out like they own the road."
• "I swear this thing can be seen from space. Talk about light pollution."
• "How about a flashing crossing sign that only comes on when a pedestrian pushes the button and is going to be crossing in a painted crosswalk? Safety-conscious folks would push it. Others would get hit - as a result of their own action."
• "I am probably one of the biggest advocates of history in town, but due to the propensity of Connecticut drivers to drastically exceed the speed limit whether or not they are on curvy, back roads, which that road is. And, because the lives of TTM workers are at risk due to many Staffordites' driving habits, then we will have to deal with a lovely yellow glow on the Universalist Church that was built in 1845, way before any human could travel so quickly."

A nighttime photo taken last week, prior to the painting of a new crosswalk. (Kevin McCluskey)

(Tim Jensen/Patch Media Corp.)

(Tim Jensen/Patch Media Corp.)