By Megan Wehring
KYLE — Sparring across social media for months, many Kyle residents have been pondering what the new name of West RM 150 (formerly Rebel Drive) should be. Members of the naming committee with the task at hand gave their own perspective of changing the name at its second meeting on Thursday.
Outspoken Kyle residents suggested new names since the city council originally wanted to rename Rebel Drive to Fajita Drive. Priscilla Harrell, who serves on the road naming committee and planning and zoning commission, said several residents want politics to be left out of the road name.
“They just want the name to be simple, not political and just straightforward,” Harrell said. “History is always going to be history but everybody thinks differently and I think, myself, I am shooting for it to be very simple and not political.”
Committee member Nick Landis agreed with Harrell and said the new name needs to be simple to give residents an easy navigation throughout the city. Rebel Drive is also no longer an appropriate name for a road in the city, Landis said.
“Austin has roads that change names all the time and it makes it more difficult to navigate the city,” Landis told the committee. “It makes it more difficult for newcomers to figure out where they are at, where they are going and where they have been. I think simplicity is one of the most important things to me.”
The main opposition against the Fajita Drive decision was that the community of Kyle was not involved. David Glicker, committee member and Hays County lawyer, said he wants to ensure every voice is included when a new name is finalized.
“I want to make sure everyone is heard,” Glickler said. “I want to make sure it’s handled reasonably. I want to be one of the people that can stand out afterwards and say the committee put in a lot of time, effort and consideration.”
Committee Vice Chair Fred Guerra explained that he was not asked to give his perspective on the road names in Plum Creek, where he resides. While the committee is tasked with a great responsibility, Guerra advised his fellow committee members to take a look at the bigger picture.
“What we are planning to do is important,” said Guerra. “But it’s not the end of the world. We ought to consider this seriously but it’s also just the naming of the street.”
The West RM 150 Naming Committee will reconvene on Nov. 9. Committee members will bring forth their own road name suggestions, along with those of the community, at the meeting for discussion.
