Stop Signs Proposed for Nassau Point Intersection Debated

Residents of Nassau Point said at Tuesday’s meeting that they were in favor of the installation of two new stop signs on Nassau Point Road at its intersection with Vanston Road.

The hilly, curvy intersection is already labeled by the town as a dangerous one, and the proposal for the new signs would make the intersection a three-way stop meant to slow traffic heading north or south along Nassau Point Road. The intersection is located only feet away from a private beach owned by the nearby Nassau Point Property Owners Association and , which has become a summertime destination for families on Peconic Bay.

Tom Cornwell, president of the Nassau Point Property Owners Association, said at the public hearing that the signs are desperately needed in an area with limited sight as the population of the area expands and drivers ignore the 30 mph speed limit.

“We have many more contractors coming to the Point now who don’t seem to understand 40 let alone 30,” he said of the speed limit. “And we have many more children now walking to the beach from that area.”

Southold Town Highway Superintendent Peter Harris said he disagreed, telling the board that he felt his recommendation to not install the signs fell on deaf ears.

“For the 10 years I’ve been in office, I’ve never seen an accident there,” he said, adding that he felt that new stop signs that residents are not used to would only make the intersection more dangerous.

Cornwell reiterated that the area has changed over the last decade and that the signs would also help those exiting from Vanston Road. Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell said that the Nassau Point community has supported the proposal “by a great margin.”