To Mayor Foy and Members of the Town Council,

 

On May 6, 2004, I wrote to you to express my opposition to renaming Airport Road Martin Luther King, Jr., Boulevard.  I have been keeping a close eye on this issue because the decision you make will have a significant financial impact on me.  I have lived on Airport Road for many years and find the proposal to rename it very upsetting.  I fully support honoring Dr. King, but I feel that it can be done in a better way than by renaming Airport Road. 

 

I was deeply disturbed by the Council’s naming committee proceeding with this proposal in spite of all of the opposition it has received in the community.  It makes one feel as if those persons we have elected to public office are ignoring the wishes of its constituents.  This is not a good feeling to have about the people who supposedly represent your best interests.  I do not feel that the council is currently acting in my best interest, and I wanted to go on record as saying so.  It is not fair to inconvenience a large number of people to satisfy the desires of a small group of people.  I have a limited income and the personal costs of changing my stationery to a new address as well as my banking and other correspondence is not insignificant.  I hope you will consider thoroughly the negative consequences to citizens that will result from the proposed change before making a final decision.  The cost to many of us will be great, and as a taxpayer, I am opposed to renaming a street for any reason.  I see doing so as a costly extravagance that is neither desired nor necessary. 

 

Dr. King was a great American, and I urge you to find a better way to honor his memory than by renaming Airport Road.  I feel very sure that he would not have wanted the dissension that this proposal has caused.  Please reconsider your proposal to rename Airport Road.

 

Thank you for your consideration of my request.

 

Dana Deason

600 Airport Road

Chapel Hill, NC 27514