Lundrigan looking for a sign of improvement at Spaniard’s Bay blind spot

By Olivia Bradbury / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Spaniard’s Bay council will ask staff to look at some of the commercial signage near a busy stretch of the Conception Bay highway that has a gas station on one side and a pharmacy on the other.
Councillor Sherry Lundrigan brought forward the issue at council’s March 18 public meeting. Lundrigan said “the blind spot” near the Baccalieu Trail Pharmacy also has a set of Canada Post super mailboxes nearby.
There are signs located on either side of the Baccalieu Trail Pharmacy, she noted. The sign to the left of the building is for the pharmacy itself, while the sign on the right advertises Gosse’s Windows Doors & More. Lundrigan said the Gosse’s Windows sign is in a blind spot, obstructing the view of the turn in the road to the right of the building — anyone turning left when leaving the pharmacy parking lot would have difficulty seeing oncoming traffic.
Lundrigan said the pharmacy sign also obstructs the view of those turning right when leaving the parking lot, but it is not as significant an issue.
Mayor Paul Brazil said he uses an alternative exit when leaving the parking lot.
“When you’re turning to go down say towards Spaniard’s Bay, down our way, you can’t see nothing around that turn until the car’s almost on top of you because the sign’s right in the blind spot,” said Lundrigan, referring to the Gosse’s Windows sign. She suggested that moving the sign back three or four feet would rectify the problem.
Mayor Brazil said the sign might be on private property, but he would have a look at it. He noted that even if the signs weren’t there, vehicles coming around the turn are on top of each other quickly. If the sign is on private property, he added, council could make a request for the sign to be moved, but not a demand. It could also write a letter to the provincial Department of Transportation and Works about it.
Lundrigan said the issue has been made worse by the sign.
“You can’t see anything until the car’s past the sign, and then the (oncoming) car is almost on top of you before you actually pull out,” she said.