GEORGETOWN, Del. - After a series of accidents in which cars plowed right into Georgetown Circle, the Town Council has appointed nine community members to form the Circle Advisory Committee.
The committee aims to develop a plan to maintain the Circle's beauty while enhancing safety measures to prevent further incidents.
The committee members are Mark Rogers, Rick Thomas, Jane Hovington, Dennis Winzenried, Georgetown Police Chief Ralph Holm, Georgetown Town Manager Gene Dvornick, Mary Lou Bamby of Georgetown Arts & Flowers, Laura Givens of the Georgetown Finance Department, and Charlie Koskey, owner of Chardon Limited Fine Jewelry.
"I'm honored to have been selected for that. I have been on The Circle here for 25 years. I see a lot of the comings and goings of a lot of vehicles every day, and, unfortunately, it's kind of sad the incidents are continuing to happen at a rate that I just can't believe," Koskey said.
On April 14, at approximately 12:30 a.m., a Gray Lincoln MKZ was traveling at a high rate of speed eastbound on West Market Street towards The Circle. According to police, the vehicle continued straight into The Circle without slowing or stopping, striking the curb, causing the car to become airborne, striking a street sign, and coming to rest on a fire hydrant several feet within The Circle. Picture courtesy of the Georgetown Police Department.
Koskey emphasized that safety is a top priority for the committee and the community.
"It is all about public safety, and obviously, it's a beautiful circle right here in downtown historic Georgetown, and I would like to be able to preserve it because the instances of the light poles being down, the fire plugs being mulled over, the signage being destroyed, it's just all too common, and we need to come up with a solution," Koskey said.
For some time now, the town has been dealing with extensive damage to monuments, bollards, and street signs. The most recent crash happened last month.
On July 13, at approximately 2 a.m., a Nissan Pathfinder was traveling East on West Market Street when it failed to stop before entering The Circle. According to police, the vehicle continued straight, striking the curb and propelling it forward, where it struck a street sign, camera post, bollards, and police monument. It finally came to rest just several feet from the fountain. Picture courtesy of the Georgetown Police Department.
"I think most of the things that have been allowed, we've taken care of already. So, this is just another set of eyes to get a different point of view and another look at what we might be able to do to enhance The Circle," Gene Dvornick, Georgetown Town manager, said.
Resident Alex Marsh echoed that sentiment.
"I think it's a good idea, and the more minds, the more people, and the more opinions, the more solutions we can come up with. I hope we get one that's safe and everybody can agree with," Marsh said.
Mayor Bill West also shared his thoughts on potential solutions.
"The bollards can be mounted in full cement, tying all of them together. We could do something like that. There are some Jersey barriers that have been made, but they look like cobblestone, and we could paint them and make them look beautiful, and they only need to be put in the tripods. They don't need to be put all the way around The Circle," Mayor West said.
Additionally, Mayor West expressed his gratitude to those who volunteered to join the committee.
"When you've got a community of individuals that have their everyday life but will step up and add extra time to something going on in this town, it means a lot," West said.
The Circle Advisory Committee hopes to present its recommendations for protecting this area to the mayor and council within six months.