Charlton Select Board Approves All-Way Stops at Two High-Crash Intersections

CHARLTON — August 12, 2025 — Charlton Select Board unanimously authorizes all-way stops at two high-crash intersections and opens October town meeting warrant. The board voted to engage MassDOT to proceed with all-way stop conversions at the Stafford Street and Center Depot Road intersection — known as Gauthier's Four Corners, ranked among the state's top 200 crash-prone locations — and at the nearby Center Depot, City Depot, and HK Davis Road intersection, following a recommendation by MassDOT and GPI Engineering that identified 32 potentially correctable incidents at the first location alone. Nick Peel, presenting the engineering findings, told the board, "if we can avoid one, two, three fatalities, whatever it may be, I think it's incumbent upon us to do so." MassDOT will supply all signage at no cost; the town's costs are limited to roadway markings and flashing-light conversion. The board also opened the warrant for a special town meeting on October 20, adopted cannabis social equity policies required by the Cannabis Control Commission, confirmed six personnel appointments including the reaffirmation of two police officers and three Council on Aging members, and learned the town had been awarded a $220,000 Green Communities grant for weatherization at Charlton Elementary School, the public library, and the sewer department.