OBSERVER Photo by Natasha Matteliano The intersection of Risley and Center streets in Fredonia is one of several in the village known for a high amount of accidents.

After several crashes in recent years, Fredonia is going to boost warning signage at the intesection of Center and Risley streets while officials mull over further protection for the home at the intersection.

Department of Public Works head Tony Gugino gave the details to the Board of Trustees Dec, 16 in response to a question from Trustee Douglas Essek.

“We are putting in a second stop sign on the southwest corner,” Gugino said. “We will have double stop signs with red reflective tape… in front of that property in the right of way, a double pedestal, double arrow reflective sign.”

Also, “there will be a ‘stop ahead’ warning sign. It’s 200 feet south of the existing stop sign,” Gugino added. “So as you approach down Center Street, you will have a warning about the stop sign ahead, you will have two stop signs with reflective marking, then you have your double reflective arrow.

“I think that will hopefully, certainly, wake somebody up more than what has happened in the past,” he concluded.

In bringing up the issue, Essek mentioned other safety signage at troublesome intersections in the village. “On Gardner and Johnson we have a big, yellow sign that has arrows. I noticed that the college at night, they have a lighted stop sign that’s got LED lights on it,” he said.

Essek also mentioned the intersection of Chestnut Street and Berry Road and the curve on Newton Street as spots where accidents often occur.

The concerns about the Center/Risley intersection were initially raised at the Nov. 4 Board of Trustees meeting by Mayor Athanasia Landis. She called for four iron bollards to get placed in front of the home, a 19th-century property that is on the corner of Risley Street and University Place. She wanted the bollards placed in front of the Risley Street side of the property, in the hopes of physically halting any vehicles that might tear down Center Street, blow through the stop sign, cross Risley Street and wind up on the property.

However, Landis lost her re-election bid to Essek on the day after that meeting, and no village officials have returned to her proposal since.

Gugino referred to increasing warning signs as “simple in-house steps that can be made with spending very little money.”

“That does seem like a common-sense first step,” replied Essek.