Name changes mulled for roads in Imperial
IMPERIAL — While a “work session” meant to discuss potential name changes to two of the city’s main thoroughfares was sparsely attended Wednesday, those business owners who would stand to be impacted made it clear they weren’t for it.
The city of Imperial is in the early stages of gathering community input into the potential changing of the name of State Route 86 to Imperial Avenue, and the changing of the current Imperial Avenue to Main Street.
Susan Paradis, executive director of the Imperial Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber was not taking sides on the potential name change just yet, but that her chamber members either did not know about the work session Wednesday or simply did not agree with the name changes being floated about.
Paradis read a letter aloud from chamber member and business owner Melissa Michaels of Melissa Michaels Spa and Salon at 311 S. Imperial Ave. In it, Michaels questioned the need for the change and drew attention to the depressed state of Main streets in El Centro and Brawley. “Let’s keep our charm and keep Imperial Avenue,” she wrote and drew attention to the expensive sign that fronts her own business, an engraved stone encased in concrete that has her address listed prominently that cost her about $4,000.
Two other businesses owners got up and spoke against the potential change to the current Imperial Avenue, citing costs to their businesses for new cards, marketing materials, signage and such.
City Councilman Darrell Pechtl said Wednesday the potential name change has appeared on the City Council agenda four times, while city public information officer Alexis Chalupnik said notice of the work session went out in mailers and was posted to the city’s social media pages.
“We’re not making a change for the sake of change,” Pechtl said, adding this issue is being talked about as a potential to build an identity for the city that helps with economic development.
“We’re the only ones on the route who don’t give it a name,” he said, citing how Highway 86 as it runs through both Brawley and El Centro have been renamed Imperial Avenue.
City Manager Stefan Chatwin said the name change was born out of the idea to gain continuity with the other cities.
The city has identified three property owners that would be affected by the addition of Imperial Avenue to Highway 86, but the number of properties that would be affected if Imperial was changed to Main Street would number around 137.
Paradis suggested city officials discuss this again in a less formal setting, possibly at a chamber mixer hosted by a local business.
Pechtl countered with the suggestion that Imperial council members and city officials invite the public to talk to them about it at a future Market Days event, possibly in January.
Early in the work session, Chalupnik provided information to the council on potential costs associated with the changes.
She said between signs on 86 and along the current Imperial Avenue, as well as items like business cards for the city of Imperial, the costs could be as much as $60,500.
The brunt of the cost would come from adding the name Imperial Avenue to Highway 86 depending on the kind of sign used.
Those costs could be between $20,000 and $56,000, the latter being signage with back lighting.
Chalupnik also reminded the council of the history of the potential name change when the city had a renaming contest in April of this year, and more than 300 nominations came in to rename State Route 86 after U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Marcus M. Cherry, an Imperial High graduate who was killed during Operation Iraqi Freedom on April 6, 2004.
After council’s consideration, it determined it would keep the name 86 but with the possible addition of Imperial Avenue.
The council, however, has talked about designating the intersection of Barioni Boulevard and the current Imperial Avenue as a plaza and possibly naming it after Cherry, and then developing a veterans’ memorial.