Edward or Edwards?

Published 10:15 pm Thursday, November 4, 2010

Two public hearings are set for December on proposed street name changes in the city.

The first — and, perhaps, the more amusing — of the two issues is one that has plagued residents of the Sadler Heights neighborhood for years. When Lida Sadler was naming streets in the neighborhood after herself and family members, she named one particular road “Edward Avenue” when homes were first constructed there in 1951, city planning director Scott Mills said in a council presentation Wednesday.

Deed books in the courthouse reflected the name. However, by the time 1954 rolled around and a new section of the road was being constructed, deeds for property on the road called it “Edwards Avenue” — and thus the confusion began.

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Street signs in the neighborhood now call it “Edwards Avenue,” but the post office says it is “Edward.” The phone book contains listings under both spellings, and property owners hold deeds both with and without the ending letter.

Other street names in the neighborhood include Lida, Emma, Jane and Alvah avenues.

Mills recommended a change to “Edward Avenue” because he believes that was the original intent, he said.

A separate street name conflict involves an area near the intersection of East Pinner Street and Constance Road. A realignment of nearby roads several years ago caused Highland Avenue to end in a cul-de-sac just west of what is now known as East Pinner Street. However, the intersection of East Pinner and Constance still contains a road sign that says “Highland Avenue.”

In addition, a separate section of East Pinner that includes several business locations also is called East Pinner Street.

Mills recommended changing the East Pinner extension to be officially “East Pinner Street,” and changing the separate section to “Old East Pinner Street.”

Residents and businesses on all the affected streets should receive notices from the city.