From: Carol Abernethy on behalf of Cal Horton
Sent: Monday, May 24, 2004 12:48 PM
To: 'yduke@earthlink.net'
Cc: George Small; Sandy Cook; Amy Harvey; Sally Greene (w); Bill Strom; Cam Hill; Dorothy Verkerk ; Ed Harrison; Jim Ward (w) ; Kevin Foy; Mark Kleinschmidt ; 'Jim Ward'; 'Edith Wiggins'; Toni Pendergraph; Bruce Heflin; Cal Horton; Flo Miller; Joyce Smith; Ralph Karpinos; Emily Dickens; Catherine Lazorko
Subject: Citizen Comment RE: Renaming of Airport Road

A copy of your email message has been forwarded to each Council Member.

Carol Abernethy
Exec. Asst., Manager's Office
Town of Chapel Hill

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Yvonne Duke [mailto:yduke@earthlink.net]
Sent:
Friday, May 21, 2004 5:49 PM
To:
Cal Horton
Subject: RE: Renaming of
Airport Road

 

Dear Council and Mayor,

 

I recently received the Agenda #6 memo and the naming committee report regarding Airport Road. With my town taxes slated to increase, I do not think the Town should spend money on a project like this that is unnecessary and that (probably) the majority of businesses people and residents on Airport Road do not want. It certainly would be fairer if those individuals could vote on the issue. It would be a different matter if Airport Road residents presented a petition for renaming, but that is not what has occurred.

 

I'm disappointed  the naming committee did not recommend the least expensive and least disruptive option on the list. Given the need to increase taxes, I think this is a  wasteful idea. Instead, please use the funds that might be spent for this project on essential services (fire/police/infrastructure).

 

Best regards,

 

Yvonne Duke

503 Westminster Dr.

Chapel Hill

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Yvonne Duke

To: Cal Horton

Sent: 5/10/04 8:08:04 PM

Subject: Renaming of Airport Road

 

Dear Council and Mayor,

 

We received your postcard soliciting comments about the proposal to rename Airport Road. We are against this proposal for a number of reasons:

 

1) There is still an Airport off Airport Road;

2) It would be disruptive and expensive for those who live or have businesses on Airport Road. The Town should not be burdening small businesses in this manner.

3) It makes more sense to give the "Martin Luther King Jr." name to a new road, or to a road with no name. Two possibilities are: 15/501, 54.

4) Renaming Weaver Dairy Extension is another possibility. Being a relatively new road, if few people have this address, renaming would be minimally disruptive. 

5) Ideally, the majority of people living on a thoroughfare should be happy with the name. Streets seem to be named after: families who live or lived in the area (Weaver Dairy) , idealized places/states of mind (Camelot Ave., Fortune's Ridge Dr. ) or sentiments (Harmony Road; Fidelity Street). Naming any road after a political figure may offend or escalate demands. What will be done if a group wants Chapel Hill to name something "Ronald Reagan Way" or "Scalia Court"?

 

It seems that this may not be the right time to rename any current road in Chapel Hill; waiting would be preferable. 

 

Best regards,

 

Yvonne Duke, Rick Duke

503 Westminster Dr.

Chapel Hill, NC

yduke@earthlink.net