On November 13, during the Elk Grove City Council meeting, the Council opposed renaming Civic Center Drive.  The new street name suggestion was proposed after the City approved the name of the new District56 area located on Civic Center Drive.

District56 or Civic Center Drive

The 56 acres of city-owned land will be the new home to the approximately 32,000 square foot Elk Grove Community Center.  Also, the Senior Center of Elk Grove and Veteran’s Memorial Hall will be located in the new Center.

During the Wednesday meeting, it was proposed to rename Civic Center Drive to one of four new street names. The street name was suggested to be changed to District 56 Drive, District 56 Avenue, District Drive or District Avenue. The other proposition was to keep part of the street as Civic Center Drive and then to rename only the street section in front of the new District56.

Residents Forced to Change Addresses

During the public comments section, several residents shared their concerns about the possible street name change. All of the resident speakers opposed renaming the street. Additionally, all speakers were against splitting the street into two names due to the confusion it causes for visitors.

Mira Sewell, The Ridge Apartments Property Manager, spoke on behalf of residents who would be directly affected by the street name change.  The Ridge Apartments, located at 8151 Civic Center Drive, consists of 204 units, made up of 486 residents.  Sewell also expressed great concern for her property’s residents if the renaming of Civic Center Drive was approved.

The Ridge residents would be forced to change their addresses with the DMV, Social Security, schools, and employers to name a few.

City Council Agrees

After public comments, Vice Mayor, Pat Hume, requested clarity about how the post office assigns addresses for new buildings. Hume also suggested possibly using fifty-six as the beginning numbers for future businesses. Furthermore, this idea would highlight the District56 identity.

Additionally, Vice Mayor Hume shared his opposition for the name change, “…First of all, I’m not in favor of readdressing all those apartments, I know the destruction that would cause…it’s a logistical nightmare.”

Likewise, Councilmembers Darren Suen, Steven Detrick, and Stephanie Nguyen all opposed the street name change.

Residents living in The Ridge Apartments will be able to keep their current addresses. Additionally, others will appreciate less confusion when utilizing the new amenities on Civic Center Drive in the near future.