The request came from the administration of the St. Mary’s Academy Charter School and approval had been recommended last month by members of the city’s Traffic Safety Commission.
Members of the Beeville Volunteer Fire Department had expressed concern over closing the block because it could limit access by emergency vehicles in the event of a fire or serious accident.
Assistant Fire Chief Lanny Holland said he was especially concerned about limited access areas around the property in the event of a serious fire.
School administrators explained that their intent was to install swinging gates at each end of the block to stop traffic during school hours. They said that in the event of an emergency, students are restricted to the campus and school staff members could quickly open the gates to allow access to emergency vehicles.
Administrators reminded the council that a similar swinging gate system is in use on East Hayes Street at a nearby Beeville Independent School District elementary and it has worked well for that campus.
School officials said three classes of kindergarten students, 75 students, will be crossing the street four times a day during the school year and they were concerned about an accident occurring.
In addition, students in the first through sixth grades also will be crossing the street in that block on a daily basis.
St. Mary’s Academy School Trustee Charles McCameron reminded council members that the block will not always be closed. He said plans are to move all school facilities to the property north of the church in the years ahead and eventually there will be no need for students to cross that street.
Councilman David Carabajal and Councilwoman Libby Spires were not at the meeting and Councilman John Fulghum had to abstain from voting on the request because he is a member of the school’s board of trustees.
City Attorney Frank Warner said it would only require a majority of a quorum present to approve the request so Mayor Pro Tem Mike Scotten made the motion to approve the request and Mayor Santiago “Jimbo” Martinez Jr. seconded the motion. Both men then voted to approve the request.
A request made earlier in the year by Carabajal to create a crosswalk on the southern side of West Carter Street where it crosses North Washington Street was not approved by the council.
Carabajal had asked the Beeville Traffic Safety Commission to study the possibility of approving crosswalks at that location and at the next block north, where West Walton Street crosses North Washington.
TSC members voted to approve the request and recommend council approval at a June 16 meeting after Assistant Police Chief Kenneth Jefferson said the department had no objection to it. Jefferson said the department did not recommend approving the crosswalk at Walton Street.
However, traffic commissioners were told that the request would have to be considered by the Texas Department of Transportation before it could be approved.
Ismael Soto, district traffic engineer for TxDOT, did not recommend approval of the request, citing problems with crosswalks on busy streets where there are no other traffic control devices.
Councilmen approved the installation of stop signs on North Jefferson Street and North Buchanan Street where they intersect with East Carter Street.
They also approved installing a stop sign at North Buchanan Street where it meets East Kennedy Street and at East Hefferman Street where it meets North Filmore Street.
Stop signs also will be installed on East Milam Street at South Hall Street and on East Milam where it meets South Kathleen Street. A stop sign also will be installed on East Hancock Street where it meets South Lassen Street.
Before adjourning, councilmen reappointed Eldon Price and Cherokee Saldiva to the TSC board.
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