(7/29) Strawberry Hill Foundation, an environmental education and stewardship-based non-profit located in Hamiltonban Township, may have to fund the painting of their own crosswalks to ensure safety for all those who visit the campus, after a vote taken by Hamiltonban Supervisors early in July.

Two months ago, a concerned citizen reached out to Hamiltonban’s Board of Commissioners in regards to painting crosswalks in two different locations along Mt. Hope Road, within Strawberry Hill Foundation’s "campus." During the most recent, regularly scheduled Board of Supervisor’s meeting, Supervisors voted not to paint crosswalks along Mt. Hope Road, but instead gave the non-profit permission to move forward with finding their own contractor to paint the safety crosswalk. Nothing has yet been provided to Strawberry Hill pertaining to specifics about traffic control if Strawberry Hill were to do the work themselves. Would this be the responsibility of the township or the Foundation?

A portion of Mt. Hope Road, which is owned entirely and maintained by Hamiltonban Township, was slated for seal coating at the end of July. The painting of traffic lines, railroad crossings, stop blocks at intersections, crosswalks (etc.) are all contracted out, similarly to roadwork, but Supervisor Bob Gordon noted that the township had no cross walks to paint this summer. According to Gordon, the township "does not paint crosswalks for our own purposes and the board did not want to set a precedent to paint a cross walk for a private entity."

Strawberry Hill Foundation hosts children’s camps all throughout the summer, as well as numerous other events and activities including guided hikes, animal shows, field trip programs, fundraisers etc. in which adults and children are utilizing the entire property, on both sides of Mt. Hope Road. The posted speed limit sign along this stretch of road is 35 mph, although many drivers are found zooming by Strawberry Hill, well over the posted limit, placing visitors to the Foundation at risk of being hit.

In an effort to help slow down speedy drivers, Strawberry Hill staff thought to paint crosswalks on both ends of the property along Mt. Hope Road. A single "slow, children at play," sign coming from one end of Mt. Hope currently exists, but the current crosswalks are faded and cannot be seen by drivers. Staff utilizes sandwich board-type crossing signs during camp season, but noted that they have already had to replace a few due to drivers speeding by the property, running the signs over. Painting new crosswalks could be the first step to help ensure the safety of all those who visit Strawberry Hill.

Word has not yet been received in regards to whether the township could bid out the painting of crosswalks for Strawberry Hill next year. If not, the Foundation will be responsible for funding and contracting the painting in-house.