The City of Niceville will install two sets of speed bumps in the Deer Moss Creek neighborhood of Niceville, despite a protestation letter from the developer, Ruckel Properties. The letter was written in opposition to the potential road upgrade, according to Niceville Public Works Director Jonathon Laird. 

The unanimous vote of the Niceville City Council came in response to a walk-on item by Laird. 

Laird told the council that a woman from the neighborhood started a successful petition drive of her neighbors on Deer Moss Loop, where the bumps will go, as a response to dangerous driving in the residential neighborhood. 

“There’s a lot of traffic from Deer Moss Loop from the Huntington subdivision going to the bypass road, or from the bypass road through to Huntington,” said Laird. 

Laird told the council that the request had already made it through three levels of bureaucracy in order to get approval. The group had a signed petition from all of the neighbors on the street, an inspection and approval from Niceville Police Chief David Popwell and the thumbs up from City Manager Lannie Corbin. The last step required to make the speed bumps a reality was approval from the Niceville City Council which occured at the meeting on September 13th.

The city also received emails from two residents on other roads abutting Deer Moss Loop. 

“I also have a letter from the developer [Ruckel Properties] not wanting the speed bumps,” Laird continued, “but with all due respect, that is now a city-maintained [road] and they really don’t have a dog in the fight.”

The speed bumps which will be installed in the neighborhood are removable. 

There is no set date for the speed bumps to be installed.