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Leesburg residents split on opening Catoctin Circle barrier

Thursday, Sep. 15 by Laura Peters | 9 comments | Email this story

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The barrier at Catoctin Circle and North Street is set to be lifted after construction on Catoctin Circle is finished. Some residents on Catoctin Circle dont want the barrier to be lifted because they fear there will be an increase in traffic and not all of the construction is finished. Times-Mirror Staff Photo/ Laura Peters

More than 30 Leesburg residents showed up for a Sept. 13 Town Council Meeting to petition to keep a barrier on Catoctin Circle and North Street. The barrier was put in place in 1995 for road improvements. Petitioners approached the podium for more than two hours to bring their issues up to council. The two neighborhoods in question are Exeter Hills and Lowenbach. Exeter Hills started development in 1992. Barricades were placed on the north and south sides within Lowenbach for street improvements. Lowenbach is between Edwards Ferry Road and North Street and Exeter Hills is north of Lowenbach. The barricade on Catoctin Circle, Queen and Washington streets were the only barricades that remained standing in 1995 because of a resolution council passed for more road improvements. Now, the barriers still remain on Catoctin Circle, Queen and Washington streets. As construction dwindles on the road, the issue of lifting the barrier has been brought up with council. Many residents of Catoctin Circle, Woodberry Road and Prince Street were on either side of the barrier issue. Woodberry, Prince and soon-to-be Catoctin serve as thoroughfares between Edwards Ferry Road and North Street and residents are concerned with the flow of traffic on their roads. We just spent a million dollars to make a very nice basketball court for somebody on Catoctin. Prince Street does know what its like to have all the traffic funnel down there, resident Larr Kelly said. They come down Prince Street and zig-zag through our neighborhood. Share the load, so please open the road. In 2004, Leesburg appointed an Ad Hoc Committee made up of residents of Lowenbach and Exeter Hills to resolve the road improvement issues. What they suggested was that the roads still needed improvement, pedestrians needed sidewalks and construction for drainage needed to be done. During the meeting on Sept. 13, many residents who reside on Catoctin Circle where the barrier is say most of the construction isnt finished and there arent sidewalks to walk on.

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is say most of the construction isnt finished and there arent sidewalks to walk on. But, town said that much of construction was halted due to the significant amount of rain during the week of Sept. 5 and there are sidewalks on one side of the street on Catoctin Circle. This construction has been a bit of a pain in the neck for me. Ive had to deal with a lot with my land and with the town, Dana Eddy, a resident on Catoctin Circle said. As long as you can get these improvements done I dont have a problem with taking the barriers down. Its just not the right time now. I bought my house knowing that that barricade would come down and I have no problem with it, but its just not the time for that now. Eddy also said the four-way stop at Catoctin Circle and Edwards Ferry Road was a big issue the town should address. People who stop at that four-way stop sign do not know how to use it. Ive almost got personally hit in my own car there, Eddy said. They dont know the laws of a four-way stop. Behind the barrier is a traffic circle at the intersection of Catoctin Circle and North Street, which was placed to alleviate traffic. Rob Montgomery, a resident of Woodberry Road, presented council with a 100 signature petition of people who were for removing the barrier. Since Prince Street is next to be barricaded for construction in spring 2012, Montgomery says that if Catoctin stays barricaded, then Woodberry Road would get all the traffic. Were supporting keeping the roads closed, but to keep all the roads closed, Montgomery said. Over the years as circumstances changed - and circumstances have changed drastically Woodberry and Prince have pretty much become major traffic channels between Edwards Ferry and North Street. And we have had more than our fair share of traffic volume. Wed be sharing the load if wed open the road, Montgomery said. Paul Kreingold has lived on Catoctin Circle for more than 26 years and he wants the barricade to stay up until the project is completely finished. Basically since 1995, there was a promise that until the whole project was done the barriers would stay closed, purely for safety reasons, Kreingold said. That promise was kept through many, many councils, it was recommitted when the Ad Hoc Committee was formed 10 years later and it was maintained through three mayors. Kreingold said if the council went against that promise of the road being completely finished, it would be going against years of commitment to residents. The topic of the Catoctin Circle barrier was to be discussed prior to the Sept. 13 meeting at a work session. The council was unable to hold quorum during their Sept. 12 work session and will put the topic on the agenda for their Sept. 26 work session. Construction on Queen and Washington streets is slated to start in the summer of 2013. Blue Ridge Avenue will be completed in segments. The entire project is expected to be completed by summer of 2014.
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Comments
Sun, Sep 18 at 10:42 AM by ExeterResident | Report this comment Summer Camps Home and Garden Historic Downtown Leesburg

I would love to see the barrier removed, such a pain to have to drive on the tiny side street, which is clearly not designed to handle that much traffice
Sat, Sep 17 at 06:10 PM by Vern | Report this comment Health Resolutions Future Leaders Coming Soon

The barrier has been there for 16 years ? What is this, Two Guys Construction Company ? What a joke.
Fri, Sep 16 at 05:59 PM by J. Seipel | Report this comment

I have lived in Exeter hills for 15 years the barricades were supposed to come down when the neighborhood was done. We lobbied to get a speed bump and circles to calm traffic. Now it is time to complete the town plan!

circles to calm traffic. Now it is time to complete the town plan!

Fri, Sep 16 at 02:09 PM by ALeesburgResident | Report this comment

Take down the barriers! Otherwise the taxpayers of Leesburg were robbed! Have you seen the red brick sidewalk?!?
Fri, Sep 16 at 09:20 AM by Lsbgal | " class="blue2">Report this comment

If you want the barricades on Catoctin removed, then you need to let the town council know! If you cant show up at the council meetings, then send an email to them or to the mayor. Our tax dollars paid for this road, we deserve to be able to use it. Complaining here wont get it done.
Thu, Sep 15 at 06:37 PM by The Real A**hole | Report this comment

But its OK to let the poor folks on Plaza Street deal with 100% of the problem, right?
Thu, Sep 15 at 06:08 PM by bigph | Report this comment

Get the few punch list items done on the Catoctin phase and take the stupid barrier down already! What a pain to not have thru roads and all drivers get funneled onto one or two open avenues. Situations like this cause more safety problems than they are worth. Spread out the flow and share the load.
Thu, Sep 15 at 04:51 PM by Mom101 | Report this comment

This barrier has been an eyesore for many years. I will be happy to have it gone! And we will be able to use the expensive traffic circle in the 4 way intersection as it was designed.
Thu, Sep 15 at 04:38 PM by abc123 | Report this comment

Hey Laugh whats your thoughts on this subject. Oh what a minute all your thoughts are about Ken Reid no matter what the subject is.

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