Kingman council weighs returning Andy Devine Avenue signage to Route 66, directs staff to study options

Kingman — The Kingman City Council spent more than an hour Tuesday hearing public comment and staff presentations about whether to restore ‘‘Route 66’’ as the primary wayfinding name for what the city currently calls Andy Devine Avenue. Council did not vote to rename the street but directed staff to study feasibility, costs and outreach, and to return with options.

The change is being considered to align local signage with heritage tourism efforts tied to the Route 66 centennial in 2026 and to make it easier for visitors to find downtown businesses. Tourism presenter Josh Noble told the council that Route 66 ‘‘will turn 100’’ in 2026 and that the renaming process would begin with a feasibility study and public outreach if council directed staff to proceed.

Supporters told council that making Route 66 prominent would drive visitors and sales-tax revenue. Britney Gish, who identified herself as an owner of a Route 66 business, said, "I can tell you from my business, we are right on Route 66, and I can't tell you the number of people we have each week that ask, 'How do we get to Route 66?'" Tourism supporters also cited visitor-center guest-book data showing a rising share of visitors identifying Route 66 as their reason for coming.

Opponents said renaming would burden long-established local addresses and erase local history tied to actor Andy Devine. Penny Holden told the council: "Andy Devine is what Kingman is known for. I think it's a waste of taxpayers' money. Leave it like that." Other speakers, including longtime residents, urged retaining the Andy Devine name or finding a dual-name compromise.

Council members described a range of views. Vice Mayor Samley and several councilors said they support stronger Route 66 wayfinding and marketing but were concerned about the cost and business impacts of a formal renaming. Samley noted businesses had told her they opposed changing addresses because of licensure and marketing costs.

Mayor Watkins and others suggested compromise measures — more prominent Route 66 shields and corridor branding, targeted sign changes at freeway interchanges, and improved digital mapping — before changing legally recorded street names. Manager Walsh and staff said a renaming would require mailing notices to property owners within roughly 150 feet of the street, and that sign replacement costs inside the city would be about $2,700; Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) or county work on freeway ramp signage could be far larger, with ADOT examples cited in the tens of thousands.

Council did not adopt an ordinance or resolution to change the name. Instead members asked staff to return with an implementation plan addressing signage, dual naming (Andy Devine Avenue / Historic Route 66), specific cost estimates, an outreach plan to affected property owners, and options to minimize business impacts. The council also noted the upcoming Route 66 centennial and expressed interest in centennial-related branding that would not immediately require businesses to change addresses.

The council’s instruction is nonbinding: any formal name change would still require a public hearing and the statutory process that notifies affected property owners and sets an effective date.

What’s next: staff will prepare a feasibility and outreach plan with cost estimates for council review, including options that emphasize Route 66 wayfinding without immediately replacing all business addresses.