South Spruce Street will not be renamed Kenai Beach Street, after the Kenai City Council on Wednesday dropped the effort from their agenda.
First introduced by Vice Mayor Henry Knackstedt on June 4, a resolution considered this week would have changed the name of South Spruce Street to make it clear which road led to North Kenai Beach. The move was not supported by Kenai’s Planning and Zoning Commission on June 25. The LeeShore Center and Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church — both located on the street — wrote to the council in opposition.
LeeShore Center Executive Director Cheri Smith on Wednesday said the logistical burden of communicating with grantors, purchasing new posters and letterhead would be significant on her organization. The center is already working with a short staff, she said. “We just can’t afford it.”
“Changing a street name probably doesn’t seem like that big of a deal,” she said. “But for a nonprofit organization, it’s a huge deal.”
Knackstedt said he hadn’t expected such significant pushback on the effort to rename the street. He said he’s seen and experienced address changes driven by the Kenai Peninsula Borough that generated only mild inconvenience largely borne by the postal service.
While Knackstedt supported a move to postpone his resolution indefinitely — effectively removing it entirely from consideration — he said he still thinks renaming South Spruce Street is a good move.
“It fits my sense of order,” he said. “Most towns have an airport way — we have one — or airport road. It takes you to the airport.”
“Perhaps this isn’t the time for this,” he said.
A full recording of the meeting can be found at the City of Kenai Public Meetings YouTube channel.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
