Title
Resolution of the Council of the City of Hampton, Virginia, Naming the Unnamed Mercury Boulevard Bridge Leading to Fort Monroe as the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Bridge
Purpose
PURPOSE/BACKGROUND:
In 2010, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial - Hampton First Citizens Advisory Committee, a city manager's working group formed at the request of the City Council, began their work. In June 2015, the group recommended that the bridge on Mercury Boulevard (currently unnamed) be named the "Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Bridge." Earlier this month, a community petition (132 signatures) in support of the renaming was submitted to the City. Additionally, four letters of support have been submitted by the NAACP, the Aberdeen Community, Hampton University, and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).
Staff has reached out to The King Center regarding whether approval from the organization is required to use Dr. King's name in this manner. (The King Center web site materials pertaining to "intellectual property" do not provide clarity regarding infrastructure naming.) As of the date of this memorandum, staff awaits a response. As such, the resolution before you references any approvals that may be required by The King Center.
The Dr. King memorial work currently underway is also part of the citizen committee's recommendation. This work will be advanced at future Council meetings as the project progresses.
Recommendation:
Rec
Approval requested
Body
Resolution of the Council of the City of Hampton, Virginia, Naming the Unnamed Mercury Boulevard Bridge Leading to Fort Monroe as the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Bridge
Whereas, in December 2009, Hampton City Council requested that the City Manager establish a citizens working committee to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Hampton Distinguished Citizens;
Whereas, since 2010, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial - Hampton First Citizens Advisory Committee has bee...
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