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St. James council adopts amendment to rename 6th Avenue West after debate; resolution will be rewritten
Summary
After staff recommended naming the short roadway for donor Robert Cunningham, the council debated donor naming versus numbered conventions and approved an amendment to rename the road '6th Avenue Court South' by a 3–1 vote; staff will rewrite the resolution to reflect the change.
St. James — The St. James City Council voted on Oct. 15 to amend a pending ordinance that would rename a short roadway currently labeled 6th Avenue West, approving a change to '6th Avenue Court South' after a debate over donor recognition and numbering conventions.
Staff told the council the parcel was donated by Robert Cunningham and transferred to the city in June 2008 and later annexed in 2019. Staff said the city's naming policy reserves 'avenue' and 'street' for through roads and that, because the city uses a single north/south dividing line (the Union Pacific rail line), the address-assignment practice makes a 'West' or 'East' suffix inappropriate for the short street. Staff recommended a non-through designation such as 'Lane' or 'Court' and suggested 'Cunningham Lane' to honor the donor.
Councilmembers discussed the Planning Commission's prior discussion, with at least one member urging adherence to numbered conventions for wayfinding and another urging recognition of the donor. Councilmember Hannah moved the initial action and Councilmember Paul seconded. After members debated an amendment to instead name the roadway '6th Avenue Court South,' the amendment carried 3–1. Because the council changed the proposal, staff said the resolution must be rewritten and reintroduced; the council agreed to treat the earlier resolution draft as void and move on to other business.
The dispute centered on competing priorities: consistent, numbered street naming for navigation and the local tradition of naming streets after donors or landowners. Staff also confirmed the change would not create public-safety issues after consulting with fire, EMS and police department heads. The council did not adopt a final ordinance text during the meeting; staff will prepare a rewritten resolution reflecting the council's amendment for a future meeting.
The council has four members present for the vote (one member, Sue Craig, was absent at the start of the meeting); the amendment vote was recorded as 3 in favor and 1 opposed. No further timetable for reintroduction was specified at the meeting.
(Reporting note: staff identified the parcel donor as Robert Cunningham.)
