Input needed for new road name

By Clare Jensen

Fife Free Press
cjensen@tacomaweekly.com
Published on: July 03, 2008

The task of figuring out what to call the new road leading to Edgewood’s new Civic Center has created much debate between safety issues and community involvement.

On the one hand, law enforcement and fire departments agree that numerical road designations make for quicker response time when outside support is called in.

On the other hand, Edgewood desires a more relevant name for the new road, which is home to the most exciting project in the city’s history—the Civic Center.

During their June 24 meeting, Edgewood City Council settled on a compromise that will keep safety of the citizens as its focus, while allowing for some community participation.

Fire Chief Ed Goodlet said the city has not allowed naming streets since the city’s incorporation. Edgewood has always followed Pierce County’s numerical grid layout, and street names like Jovita Boulevard and Chrisella Road are well known to surrounding areas.

Goodlet said while a new street name would catch on quickly in Edgewood, it could be years before the new name is updated into map guides used by emergency vehicles, which could delay response times from mutual aid vehicles and police support from surrounding jurisdictions.

Detective Jay Jensen, who also had concerns with naming streets for safety reasons, suggested Edgewood follow Puyallup’s method, and use both numerical and a given name for the street.

Edgewood’s new road, which will lead to the Civic Center, the Edgewood Flower Farm subdivision and Dogwood Meadows Development, will have two signs.

One will show its spot on the county grid – at 105 Avenue East, and the other will display a name with significance to the Edgewood community.

At past council meetings, council members threw around some options for the road name, such as Windmill Road, but it will be up to the Edgewood community as to what the designated name will be.

Edgewood residents can give their two-cents through a 100-word-or-less essay describing why their choice is the best and most relevant name for the road.

The council will then choose the winner from the pool of suggestions, and the winner will be the guest of honor at the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for their named road. The deadline for essays is Aug. 11.

Edgewood will also be reviewing its policy for other new roads coming in to follow a similar guideline. Some council members believed it would be unfair for the city to be able to name its road, and prohibit others to do the same in the future.

To submit ideas for the ceremonial name of the new road for Edgewood’s Civic Center, fax them to (253) 952-3537, e-mail at CityHall@cityofedgewood.org, or mail them to 2221 Meridian Avenue E. Call (253) 952-3299 with any questions about the contest.

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