GREAT BARRINGTON — Newsboy Statue Lane might be the shortest street in town.

But the 200-foot road is also one of the most controversial.

In the wake of a plan to narrow the road at its western entrance, a host of neighbors has come forward to protest.

In the meantime, the Board of Selectmen took their concerns under advisement and halted the work.

In April, Selectmen agreed with a plan to install a "bump-out" at the intersection of Newsboy Lane and Route 23 to slow cars driving north on the road. John Van Wagner, a chiropractor, purchased the lone house on the lane in 2007.

Van Wagner made what he believed to be a fair proposal to slow traffic coming north off Route 23 onto Silver Street: Install the bump-out.

He was emphatic that he did not want to see the road closed, a stance several previous owners of his house have taken. The "road closed" advocates have not gotten very far, because neither the Selectmen or many of the abutters want to see the road shut down.

The road, in addition to providing a fast short cut to Silver Street, which is itself a connector to Route 8, also provides access to the Newsboy Statue, a venerable piece of artistry more than a century old that is the only monument to newscarriers in the United States.

In April, Van Wagner’s plan was approved by the Board of Selectmen and MassHighway was notified. Everyone seemed satisfied.

But last week, Sherrie Van Tassel headed up a group of businesspeople and neighbors who appeared before the board to object to the plan.

Van Tassel, who works at a horse farm on Route 23, explained to the Selectmen that the bump-out would make it difficult for her to maneuver her wagons onto Newsboy Lane.

Van Tassel said she saw town Department of Public Works workers cutting away parts of the blacktop last week, which generated her concerns.

"I think the town should revisit this issue," she said.

Another local farmer, George Beebe, concurred.

"This way this is configured now, I can barely get though," said Beebe, who explained that he had tractors and other large farm machinery that use the lane.

"I need that access to get down to (Route 8)," said Beebe.

Beebe said that if the bump-out is installed, he would have to swing out into the oncoming lane, blocking it, until he could drive his equipment down Newsboy Lane.

Donald Mouthrop, a neighbor, told the Selectmen that he believed the bump-out would also cause problems for emergency vehicles trying to get to and from Route 23.

The board agreed to take under advisement the abutters’ request to halt the work.

Selectman Margaret Beckwith said that, while the Selectmen did not have to have a public hearing for the project, "maybe we should have notified people." She suggested the Selectmen might want to consider a meeting about the road.

Beebe, Van Tassel and the neighbors conceded they were weary of the issue resurfacing every few years.

"It comes up every four years," said Beebe. "It’s ridiculous."

"Every few years, (people) buy the house and then they discover there’s a road in front of it," said Paul Mouthrop. "Well, duh!"