Pueblo, coalition agree on roadway for MLK name change, but hurdles remain

A proposal to rename a Pueblo street in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. took a small step forward last week after the city and the coalition pitching that switch tentatively agreed on which street name to change.

The city in a meeting last week with NAACP’s Pueblo branch recommended the stretch of U.S. Highway 50 between its Interstate 25 bypass, east toward the Colorado Highway 96 and 47 interchange, as the best option to honor the prominent American civil rights leader.

That recommendation came from city staff following a report that analyzed the options NAACP Pueblo said it preferred during a city council work session in January. The initiative is led by NAACP Pueblo but had been started and requested by people of color in the city, said Ron Wiley, a member of the NAACP Pueblo branch who serves on its executive committee.

Another proposed option — Pueblo Boulevard between U.S. 50 and south toward I-25 — had been the preferred location for the coalition, but at this time it is “off the table,” Wiley said.

Wiley also said the civil rights organization agreed with the city’s recommendation because that stretch of road is a “prominent” one that generates considerable traffic and intersects with I-25. It runs between the East Side and Belmont.

“The roadway itself goes through a diverse community on a prominent side of the city,” Wiley said.

Despite the city and NAACP Pueblo’s verbal agreement, the proposal is far from final. The city or NAACP must initiate the proposal to the planning and zoning commission, which would then notify businesses and any residents along the area in question about the proposed change.

A public hearing during a planning and zoning commission meeting would then take place, followed by a recommendation from that commission. After that, the proposal would go before city council for another public hearing.

It’s unclear at this time when that initiation might happen because the city is waiting to learn from the Colorado Department of Transportation how much it would cost to produce the change in the area that was agreed upon, said Haley Sue Robinson, director of public affairs for the city.

The estimate could potentially sway the city and NAACP from the area that they agreed on, she added.

A renaming to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard on that stretch of roadway, which stretches approximately 2.6 miles, would impact 18 businesses, all of which would need to change their addresses, according to a written report from Scott Hobson, the city’s acting director of planning and community development, and Andrew Hayes, director of public works.

Those businesses also might have to update bank accounts, licenses and permits and advertising portfolios, among other materials and expenses.

The renaming would also require changing several city and CDOT street signs.

However, a name change for that roadway could address “consistency” issues along U.S. 50 because some businesses on that corridor have separate street names in their address, the report states.

Both figures are far less than what the impact would be compared to other options NAACP Pueblo pitched.

“This project alternative minimizes the number of properties impacted by the renaming initiative, while designating a prominent route through the city that is properly suited to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy,” Hobson and Hayes wrote. “This alternative also presents a unique opportunity for alignment with CDOT that could minimize the additional cost of fabrication and installation of new highway road signs on I-25 and US-50 as there is a current project under design for reconstruction of the interchange at US-50B and I-25.”

More: Pueblo coalition wants to honor MLK by renaming Pueblo Boulevard in his honor

Hayes told the Chieftain that recommendation was also made because of the traffic that is generated on that roadway and the recognition that the freeway could give to MLK’s legacy.

The impact to businesses and residences on Pueblo Boulevard between U.S. 50 and south toward I-25 would be “significant,” the report says. Hobson and Hayes estimate that on that stretch, 186 properties, three of which are residences, would require an address change.

Other proposed renaming options, such as on Pueblo Boulevard between U.S. 50 and Thatcher Avenue, and Troy Avenue between Colorado 96 and Rawlings Boulevard, also have greater estimated impacts to businesses compared to the city's recommended route.

Wiley emphasized that the proposal must first go through a “democratic process” and that Puebloans can come forward to advocate for or against it, but expressed optimism that the proposal will move forward.

“From the beginning of this initiative, we’ve received quite favorable responses from people in the community as well as the city and city staff,” Wiley said.

Although the U.S. 50 and I-25 bypass is managed by the Colorado Department of Transportation, the state agency would not cover any expenses necessary to remove and replace signage along that roadway to indicate a name change, a CDOT spokesperson said.

The expense would have to be covered by whichever entity was trying to push the name change through, whether it's the city, county or a private group.

Chieftain reporter Josue Perez can be reached at JHPerez@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @josuepwrites.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo, coalition agree on street for MLK name change; hurdles remain