Village Blames Sagaponack School Damage on Speed Bump

A speed bump outside Sagaponack School may be removed or relocated after staff raised concerns that it could be causing a crack in the building’s south wall, according to the Sagaponack Village Board of Trustees.

Village officials said at their meeting on May 21 the school asked whether the speed bump on Sagg Main Street could be taken out or moved farther back due to complaints about noise and vibrations disturbing children and classrooms. Trucks hitting the bump were “disrupting the students,” Deputy Mayor William Barbour said.

One trustee noted that the bump is steeper than others in the village. It was installed near a stop sign in a 15 mph school zone where drivers had previously ignored stop signs and sped past the school. Trustees said compliance has improved since the bump was installed.

The speed bump was one of the first to be placed in the village as part of a “trial and error” traffic-calming effort. While nearby speed bumps have reportedly helped to slow traffic around the school, the one believed to be contributing to the crack has continued to draw complaints.

Officials said they would consult the village engineer and contractor to determine whether the bump could be moved, leveled or removed. 

Trustee David McMillan said possible relocation sites could be “anywhere from the end of the school property to the Parsonage turn.” Another trustee suggested asking the engineer whether the bump could realistically be causing the crack.

The board noted that the village has more than $2 million in its capital highway fund. Trustees voted to move forward with installing seven additional speed bumps elsewhere in Sagaponack.