City councilmen on Tuesday will consider a number of all-way stops to improve traffic safety.

The council will meet at 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Municipal Complex.

City Engineer Kevin Stafford said the all-way stop at the intersection of 12th Street North and Sixth Avenue should help improve safety. A building blocks sight lines for a portion of the intersection, which has made it potentially unsafe.

“There’s an old barber shop in the southeast corner that’s blocking views for traffic that stops, heading northbound on 12th Street,” Stafford said. “Because of that, traffic heading westbound on Sixth Avenue can’t see them before they’re right-up on them.”

The council will also consider approving all-way stops for 16th Street North’s intersections with Eighth Avenue North and Ninth Avenue North.

Stafford said the intersections pose hazards for motorists and pedestrians.

“When people are there visiting the Elks Lodge they park on the street,” Stafford said. “They block views from crossing traffic on the cross avenues, being Eighth and Ninth avenues, and it makes it hard to see. Plus, obviously the pedestrian traffic increases walking to and from that establishment.

“Right now, 16th Street is wide open,” he added. “There’s no stop signs, no controls for traffic up and down the street. We’re recommending, due to the increased on-street parking to still allow the parking because they need it for the area, but to stop all the traffic at the intersections.”

Property purchase

On Tuesday, the council will also consider allowing a citizen, Latanya Moore, to purchase a blighted property on Peach Street the city acquired through a tax sale. Ward 4 Councilman Marty Turner, who placed the item on the agenda, said the matter is a procedural step to allow Moore to obtain the property.

“The ones who stay near the place or have personal interest in the value of the place, we want to make sure they are the ones who can get it,” Turner said. “I’ve done that several times, where they stay adjacent to the property. Most of the times if you stay adjacent to property, you take care of the property instead of the city having to take care of the property.

“I think it’d be better for them to have the property and put it back on the tax rolls rather than the city paying people to keep it clean and cut,” he added.

Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.