Las Vegas City Commission Minutes, November 20, 1957 to December 2, 1959, lvc000011-169

Mr. Bridgeman urged the Commission to favorably consider this request and advised that the City of North Las Vegas has already gone on record as approving the change of the name of Main Street in their City to Las Vegas Boulevard. Mr. Tim Nolner appeared before the Commission in favor of this proposed change. Mr. Nolner stated that the committee from the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce has been on record as favoring the change of 5th Street from the beginning, and the and the inclusion of Main Street is a compromise to those requesting this change. He asked the Commission to consider all factors and urged the change of name. Mr. A.L. Childs spoke next and stated that he did not feel there should be any distinction between the renaming of 5th Street and Main Street. He said he felt the major part of the economy of our City is dependent upon hotels and motels, and the owners of these businesses should have preferential right to bring their requests before the Commission. He advised that he favored the renaming of both 5th and Main Streets to Las Vegas Boulevard. Mr. J.W. Conroy appeared next in favor of the proposed change of street name. He urged favorable consideration and asked that if the Commission is not in favor of renaming both 5th and Main Streets, that the whole matter not be dropped, since he felt that it would be of great benefit to the community to have a Las Vegas Boulevard. Mr. Conroy indicated that he was in favor of the renaming of 5th Street, or both Main and 5th, but he urged favorable consideration of the original request for the renaming of 5th Street. Mr. M. Brandolini, owner of the Monte Carlo Auto Court on South Main Street appeared and requested that the Commission consider the renaming of Main Street to Las Vegas Boulevard. Mr. Brandolini stated that if it was good for the community to rename 5th Street to Las Vegas Boulevard, he felt it was equally important to give the property owners on Main Street the same benefit. Mr. Reed Wittwer appeared next, and advised the Commission that he was a property owner on both North and South Main. He stated that Main Street is losing business and urged the Commission to favorably consider the renaming of Main Street to Las Vegas Boulevard in order to protect the investments of these property owners. Mr. Ray Maki, part owner of the Rancho Anita Motel on 5th Street stated that he did not feel the renaming of Main Street was as important as the renaming of 5th Street. He said that the tourists coming into Las Vegas have to be encouraged, and he felt the renaming of 5th Street would be important in bringing traffics into Las Vegas off the proposed new freeway. Mr. Abe Snider, appeared next and stated that his business is located in the County, and urged the Commission to favorably consider this renaming on the basis of the publicity that would result from the name of "Las Vegas Boulevard". At this time Commissioner Sharp arrived at the meeting. The Commission next considered those present who wished to protest the renaming of 5th and Main Streets. Mr. David Katzman, businessman on South Main Street appeared in protest to the renaming of Main Street, and presented a petition of protest signed by approximately 34 merchants and property owners. Mr. Katzman said he was objecting on the basis of the confusion that would result from the designations South, Southeast, Northeast, Southwest and Northwest; the cost of this change of street name to the businessman; and further that he did not feel that the tourist would by-pass Las Vegas, since there is very little to attract them between Baker and St. George other than Las Vegas. Mr. Bill Roesselet of 2400 Sherman Place appeared in protest. Mr. Roesselet advised the Commission that he is a property owner on both 5th and Main Streets and he felt that neither of the names of the streets should be changed. Mr. Herb Tobman, owner of a business on South Main Street, presented the Commission with another petition containing approximately 34 protestants to the change of the name of Main Street. Mr. Tobman stated that the existing name suited the merchants in this area, and they did not care what other changes the Commission made, so long as the name of Main Street remained unchanged. Mrs. Augusta Schouten appeared in protest to the change of name of Main and 5th Streets. She advised that she had also filed a written protest and indicated that she not only thought the new proposed names were too vague, too long and too hard to remember, but she thought the expense involved was unnecessary. Mr. Sid Sheppard, owner of a business on South Main Street spoke next in protest to the proposed change of name. Mr. Sheppard advised that he has signed a petition along with 67 other businessmen on Main Street, who want to keep the name unchanged. Mr. Loren Ronnow, representing the Clark County Wholesale Mercantile on South Main Street spoke next in protest to the change, and stated that he wanted the name of Main Street left as it is. Mr. Jack Underwood spoke in protest to the change of name, and stated that he thought there would be too much confusion in street designations. Mr. Otto Westlake also spoke in protest to the proposed change. Mr. Westlake stated that he owns property on South Main Street that is presently designated 1111 South Main. He further stated that if the proposed change is approved that he felt it would be confusing, since he understands the new designation will be 1111 Las Vegas Boulevard Southwest. He indicated that he was primarily concerned in protesting the change of the name of Main Street, not Fifth Street. Mrs. Dale Schofield, a home engineer, spoke in protest to the renaming of 5th Street and Main Street. 7-2-58