Title
Adoption of a New Street Name to Replace Robert E. Lee Street (Ordinance S-47115)
Description
Request to formally adopt a new name for Robert E. Lee Street in accordance with the City Council's approval at the Sept. 16, 2020 Formal Council Meeting to rename the street. Recommend the adopted name be effective March 1, 2021.
Summary
At the Sept. 16, 2020 Formal Council Meeting, the City Council approved the renaming of Robert E. Lee Street (Attachment A), as well as a policy to reimburse residents for any costs associated with updating their addresses, and a process to allow property owners to take an advisory vote on their preferred new names from those suggested during the public input process. This report outlines the results of the advisory vote on alternate street names.
Resident Alternate Name Preference Process
During the public input process, residents of the street and the community at large suggested alternate names for the street. Of the names suggested during the public input process, 44 met the requirements of the Maricopa Association of Governments Address and Street Assignment Policy Manual. These 44 names were included in a preference voting sheet (Attachment B) sent by certified mail to all 122 property owners on the street. That mailing included a postage paid, pre-addressed return envelope for those wanting to complete the paper survey and a letter with instructions for property owners that wanted to complete the survey online. Controls were put in place to ensure each property was allowed only one response. A reminder mailing was sent via first-class mail ten days later to any property owner that had yet to respond. In total, 60 property owners completed the survey, resulting in a response rate of 49 percent.
Property owners were allowed to rank their preferences for up to five names. Respondents were required to rank their chosen names in their order of preference; a single choice was automatically scored as a top choice. Each choice was assigned a numerical score based on how highly it was ranked; the top choice was assigned a value of five. Subsequent choices rated correspondingly lower values down to a value of one for a property owner's fifth choice. City staff totaled each name's numerical ranking values to provide a clear way to identify the property owners' top preferences.
Listed below are the top name preferences in order based on numerical ranking totals:
Desert Cactus Street: 225 (Of the 52 owners who ranked this name, 34 had it as their first choice.)
North Hills Street: 125 (Of the 34 owners who ranked this name, seven had it as their first choice.)
Edge Hill Street: 75 (Of the 28 owners who ranked this name, zero had it as their first choice.)
Black Mesa: 72 (Of the 25 owners who ranked this name, two had it as their first choice.)
Six names received numerical ranking totals between 50 and 21:
Neutral Way: 49 (Of the 17 owners who ranked this name, one had it as their first choice.)
Harriet Street: 34 (Of the 11 owners who ranked this name, two had it as their first choice.)
Buffalo Soldier Way: 28 (Of the eight owners who ranked this name, four had it as their first choice.)
Revolutionary: 27 (Of the eight owners who ranked this name, one had it as their first choice.)
John McCain: 25 (Of the ten owners who ranked this name, two had it as their first choice.)
Southwest Sun: 22 (Of the eight owners who ranked this name, two had it as their first choice.)
The remaining names all received cumulative ranking scores of 20 or below and were chosen by nine or fewer property owners. Of these, two names received between five and nine total votes: James T Kirk and Rose Mofford. Eleven names received between two and five votes: Annie Dodge Wauneka, Calle de la Paz, Obama Drive, Surrender, Candelabra, John Lewis Way, Pico del Valle, Carpetbagger, Lincoln Ragsdale, Varlet, Vista al Valle. Nine names received a single vote: Aves de Arizona, Bell’s Vireo, Bonita Calypto, Calle de Esperanza, Calle de la Fortuna, Calle de Muchos, Casas Pacificas, Jordin Sparks Ave., Schadenfreude. The remaining names received no votes: Blatteroon, Calle de Belleza, Camino de Montana, Casas de Bien, Casas de Bienestar, Charles Keating IV, Fatuous, Kaitlyn Dever Boulevard, Laurens Road, Pertinacious, Quisquous, and Schuyler Street.
Previous Public Input
Two community meetings were held to gather public input on the proposed renaming of Robert E. Lee Street. As part of the July 1, 2020 Council action to initiate the renaming process, the Council authorized a temporary revision to allow community meetings to be conducted virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the virtual forums, residents were able to participate online or use their phones, including traditional landline telephones, which is similar to public participation at Council meetings during the pandemic. Residents and property owners of Robert E. Lee Street were notified of the opportunity to participate in the meetings through certified mailings and signs placed at two locations along the street. The live community web forums were held on July 28 and Aug. 3, 2020. The community was also notified of the opportunity to provide input including telephone, Webpage comment form, and postal mail.
In all, 121 people participated in the community forums. Others submitted comments via e-mail, web form or other means (Attachment C).
City Staff Updating Responsibilities and Resident Reimbursement
As was outlined in the City Council Report for the Sept. 16, 2020 Formal Council Meeting, City staff will take several steps to notify government and other agencies of the official name change. Staff also has prepared extensive background material for residents to assist them updating personal and government accounts, and Phoenix Public Library staff will continue to be available to directly assist impacted residents. Staff also will send to all property owners and residents via certified mail a third set of documents that includes a formal letter of approval, a copy of the recorded ordinance, and a completed address change notification. Residents can keep these documents in their records should they need to document or show proof of the street name change for any reason in the future.
Staff is implementing the cost reimbursement policy approved by the Council on Sept. 16, 2020. Residents, property and business owners will be able to request reimbursement by mail or online using scanned documentation. The reimbursement form will be included in the final mailing sent after adoption of a new name.
Timing of Change
If the City Council approves a new name at the Nov. 18, 2020 Formal Council Meeting, staff recommends that the effective date of a new street name be no earlier than March 1, 2021. This will ensure any change is after the holiday season and will allow sufficient time for residents to process changes.
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
The City Council approved the renaming of Robert E. Lee Street (Ordinance S-46949) on Sept. 16, 2020.
Location
Robert E. Lee Street
Council District: 2
Responsible Departments
This item is submitted by Deputy City Managers Mario Paniagua and Jeff Barton, the Planning and Development, Street Transportation, Finance, Budget and Research and Library departments.