SCITUATE - July 7, 2026 - In a packed room driven by a recent neighborhood disturbance, Sandhills full-time residents pleaded with the Scituate Select Board for immediate traffic calming, noise enforcement, and a crackdown on illegal fireworks. Describing the area as a chaotic summer “playground” for seasonal renters, residents warned that without proactive police intervention, a fatal accident is imminent on Turner Road.
The Full Story
The meeting opened with a somber moment of silence for Chris Matthews, a former Scituate resident and dedicated district outreach director who passed away recently. However, the peaceful mood quickly shifted during the un-agendaged “walk-in” segment, when a large delegation of Turner Road and Sandhills residents stepped forward to address deteriorating safety conditions in their coastal neighborhood.
Matthew Svagdis detailed a June 27 incident where speeding teenagers ran over a possum at 10:00 PM, calling it a symptom of a larger summer influx that has made full-time residency exhausting. Neighbor Joanne White added that absentee owners and short-term rentals are rapidly turning Sandhills into an unregulated entertainment venue.
Carol Sullivan-Hanley delivered a fiery testimony, noting she has previously petitioned the traffic committee after witnessing two dogs killed on the road. “I should not have to throw a watering can. I should not have to scream at cars to slow down. It’s ridiculous,” Sullivan-Hanley said, asserting that confusing 20 MPH and 30 MPH signs have done nothing to stop drivers from treating the strip like the “Indy 500”. Adding to the neighborhood’s frustrations, Linda Murphy brought a piece of a burned firework wrapper recovered just ten feet from her wooden deck following a July 3rd “bombing raid,” asking for community outreach and strict signage reminding renters of the state’s strict fireworks fines.
