Title
Consideration of Citizen Petition Related to Changing the Name of Broadway Road to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
Description
This report provides the City Council with information in response to a citizen petition regarding changing the name of Broadway Road to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, submitted by Ms. Joanne Scott Woods at the Nov. 15, 2017 Formal City Council meeting (Attachment A).
Summary
The petitioner requests Councilwoman Kate Gallego and Councilman Michael Nowakowski begin a study on the feasibility of changing the official name of Broadway Road to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, including funding the change and consideration of the costs of compensating affected property and business owners. The petition requests a study to begin within two months of its submission and for the name change to occur within the next two years so costs could be included in the Fiscal Year 2019-2020 City budget.
At the Dec. 17, 2014 Formal meeting, the City Council approved ceremonial signage honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. along the entire length of Broadway Road in Phoenix. The street retained its official Broadway Road name and businesses and property owners along the road retained their current addresses.
The City's current street renaming policy outlines the requirements for residents to initiate the process to change the name of a city street. According to the Street Naming Process approved in 2012, residents seeking to change the name of a collector or arterial street must get the approval of 75 percent of affected property owners and notify by mail all owners, residents and neighborhood associations registered with the City of Phoenix within 1/2 mile of the affected street for arterials and within 1/8 of a mile for collectors. After application, staff also must conduct a comprehensive review of any new proposed names that includes, but is not limited to, an evaluation of the proposed name against the Maricopa Association of Government's "Address and Street Name Assignment Policy." Staff review also includes solicitation of comments from multiple government agencies on the proposed street name. Only after staff determines the resident(s) has met all petition and notification requirements and that all technical renaming criteria are met, is it submitted for formal City Council consideration.
At the June 27, 2017 Policy Session, City Council approved revision of the street renaming policy to allow the Mayor or three Council members to initiate the process to rename a street when the name is deemed derogatory or offensive based on City Code Section 18-1. Under this provision, the Mayor or three Council members may request a change to the City Manager as the initial step. The City Manager, or designee, would then add an item on the next available Formal meeting agenda for the council to consider whether to begin the process.
Should a resident seek to use the current approved renaming policy to rename Broadway Road, a more detailed list of requirements to initiate the process is available in the City's Street Naming Process Description document.
According to preliminary staff research, there would be extensive petition approval and public notification requirements for a resident(s) seeking to change the name of Broadway Road. The section of the roadway in Phoenix contains more than 730 commercial parcels and more than 140 parcels zoned residential, many of which contain multiple addressees, including shopping and commerce centers with multiple tenants and multi-family housing complexes. Though many address change procedures for residential property owners can be completed for little or no cost, commercial businesses could face significant costs that could include updates to vehicle and facility signage; invoices; business cards; print, online and broadcast advertisements; and other paid business listings. The Street Transportation Department has estimated a cost of $200,000 to replace all city street signs along the City of Phoenix section of Broadway Road, from 48th Street to 91st Avenue. This estimate includes lighted, signalized intersection signs as well as smaller signs at local and collector streets. Because large areas of the roadway west of 51st Avenue border unincorporated Maricopa County islands, coordination with the county also would be required to update signage in those areas. There are also signage costs that would be borne by the Arizona Department of Transportation or the City related to freeway signage for exit purposes from Interstate 10.
Options for Action
A. Accept the petition as it was presented.
B. Deny the petition as it was presented.
C. Advise the petitioner of the existing process.
D. Other direction to staff.
Staff recommends Option C: advising the petitioner of the existing process to seek the change of a street name (Attachment B).
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Mario Paniagua and the Planning and Development Department.