Summerhill Lane: still a tenuous situation

It has been more than a week since the residents living on Summerhill Lane hand-delivered letters to every parent who drove up their private road to drop off their kids at Fallbrook High School. The letter unequivocally stated that, starting August 21, the bottom of Summerhill would be barricaded.

Debbie McCain, a Summerhill resident, has voiced her concerns regarding the precarious position in which parents are placing their children by letting them dodge vehicles from Summerhill across busy South Stage Coach to get to the campus.

“The first week of school was like something out of a nightmare,” said McCain. Although she had politely informed parents time and time again that Summerhill was a private road and was closed, the parents did not take to the information kindly. “I had people yell at me, spit at me, throw things at me and cuss at me in several different languages.”

“It has been amazingly eye-opening how people in Fallbrook think that when something says ‘private road’ it doesn’t relate to them when they are in a hurry,” she said bluntly.

Sergeant Hall of the Oceanside California Highway Patrol verified that Summerhill is a private road. “If [Summerhill residents] wanted to park their Winnebago and block the private road entirely, they are welcomed to do that,” he said.

Since last week, the situation has slightly improved for Summerhill residents. However, the jaywalking across Stage Coach remains an enormous issue.

“There are still a lot of kids crossing the street and having to stand in the center of the road and wait for traffic to pass. That hasn’t changed,” added McCain. This is an ongoing safety issue.

Sgt. Hall confirmed that there is a traffic and safety conflict at Fallbrook High School, and there is not an easy solution at this time. “The highway patrol will be out there as much as possible during the first few weeks of school,” he said. “After that, we will follow up sporadically and try to get people to do the right thing.”

Hall strongly urges parents to be patient and follow the instructions given by school administrators. “Come in from one direction only and do not drop off kids on the opposite side of the school so they have to run across traffic,” he stated.

In the meantime, Hall said that the CHP will try to prevent these types of issues from occurring.

McCain and her neighbor, Colonel Zimmerle, met with FUHS Superintendent Tom Anthony on August 27. McCain said Anthony was very nice and understanding but unable to reach any solidified conclusion.

Anthony advised McCain that the fire marshal is the authority regarding topics such as crosswalks and designated drop-off areas. McCain will be included in an upcoming meeting with Anthony and the fire marshal.

“We all need to work together on this and try to do something that will benefit the safety of the children who are going to the high school,” said McCain.