ORONO – Three of the six controversial stop signs on the Webster Park side of town that were ripped from the ground last week still on the posts have been seen in the Stillwater River under the railroad bridge.

Following an anonymous call to the town office Monday, Orono Police Chief Robert O’Halloran and Capt. Lenny Green were unable to locate the signs in a search near both ends of the bridge. Even if the signs were located near the area, moving water and rocky terrain probably would make retrieving them impractical and unsafe, O’Halloran said.

All previously standing on the straight stretch of North Main Street, two of the signs were situated on the corners where Pond Street meets North Main. The third was located at the corner where Pierce Street meets North Main.

There are no suspects at this time, O’Halloran said.

Less than a year old, the stop signs were installed after turmoil generated by a September incident in which a resident was beaten while trying to disperse an early-morning party on Pond Street. The incident led to angry meetings between residents and town officials at which the Town Council agreed to revisit ordinances governing traffic, noise, large gatherings and related issues.

Meant to target speeders, the stop signs became the first tangible step in improvements to the closely settled neighborhood. But after only a month, some residents raised concerns that having stop signs on straight stretches of Main Street and Crosby Street was more hazardous than helpful, especially with snow on the ground.

The signs’ disappearance has reignited debate, O’Halloran said.

“The people that [originally] didn’t want the signs don’t want them replaced and the people that [originally] wanted the signs want them back up right now,” O’Halloran said.

The signs will be replaced, O’Halloran said, and could be installed within one to two weeks. Because the posts were hauled completely from the ground, new digging permits will have to be obtained from the state. At a cost of roughly $100 for each sign and post, the whole project could cost an estimated $500, including labor, O’Halloran said.