Memorandum

City of Lawrence

City Manager’s Office

TO:	David L. Corliss, City Manager
FROM:	Jonathan Douglass, Assistant to the City Manager
CC:	David Woosley, Traffic Engineer Lynne Braddock Zollner, Historic Resources Administrator
DATE:	March 5, 2009     UPDATED March 9, 2009
RE:	Renaming Missouri Street from 9^th Street to 11^th Street

At the 03/03/09 City Commission meeting, Commissioner Hack requested that the City Commission consider renaming Missouri Street from 9^th Street to 11^th Street (see attached map) in honor of Don Fambrough. I recommend that the City Commission consider this item at their 03/31/09 meeting, and in the meantime staff will notify property owners and residents via mail of the meeting.

Commissioner Hack has requested consideration of this item at the 03/24/09 City Commission meeting, and has amended the portion of Missouri Street to be renamed, to limit it to only the portion from 10^th Street to 11^th Street.

Background

This is not a comprehensive review or analysis of the issue, but a few potential items for the City Commission to consider follow.

• There are approximately 43 22 structures, with an undetermined number of actual addresses, which would require address changes;
• The City would have to replace or install new street name signs at three two intersections at an approximate cost of $300 $200;
• The Post Office would likely continue to deliver to the old addresses for up to a year. After that point, property owners and residents would only receive mail at the new address. Staff is confirming this with the Post Office. The Post Office has confirmed that they will deliver to both the new and old addresses for one year from the date of the change.
• Historic ramifications: There would not likely need to be any Historic Resources Commission approval of the change, but there is historical significance to the street name:
• The current street names were a conscious choice by the founders of Lawrence to make the street names follow the order of the states’ admittance to the Union;
• Missouri from 9^th to almost 10^th is in the environs of a national registered property (again, this change should not require HRC review, but it is worth note that the area does have historical significance);
• The Oread Neighborhood Plan is under development, and the renaming of the street may be something to consider in conjunction with the development of that plan.
• Disruption to residents and property owners: Property owners and residents will likely have to change addresses on any number of personal documents such as driver’s licenses, bank accounts, credit cards, mortgages, titles, utility bills, etc.  

Another option to consider would be to give that portion of the street an honorary name without changing the actual name of the street. This could be done in a similar manner as the historic names which are posted alongside the actual street names in Old West Lawrence (see attached photo for an example of one of these historic signs).

ACTION:      Direct staff as appropriate.