By Clayton and Dorothy Campbell
For the Salisbury Post
For the past few months, Livingstone College officials have been pressuring residents on Institute Street to change the street’s name to Livingstone College Way. The rationale given in their written correspondence to the residents states:
“The new name we are proposing, Livingstone College Way, we feel will give inspiration to future generations who come to know this path as it was paved to ensure their representation in this global economy. The name embodies our passion for educating youth and establishes a record of your commitment and support to education.”
I am definitely opposed to changing the name. The present name is historical, as it comes from Zion Wesley Institute, the first name of Livingstone College. Many of the residents on Institute Street attended Livingstone or have worked there and are proud to have this historical connection.
The officials have indicated proposed cosmetic changes that the new name will bring to the area. These changes are commendable, but the new look will come with large problems.
The recent traffic data collected for Institute Street was compared to data from 18 other streets with similar complaints. Based on current volumes and speeds, our street ranks fifth out of 19 streets on the city “traffic calming” list. Traffic counts taken in January 2009 indicated an average of 1,150 vehicles per day.The street between West Innes and Horah is 32 feet wide, which is wider than a standard residential street. The section between Horah and Monroe is 25 feet wide, which is the standard width. This means the closer one gets to the college entrance, the more narrow the street becomes.
We have been told that sidewalks will be installed and maple and oak trees will be planted. There is very little room for these additions. We have on-street parking on both sides, and when the college has events, traveling, driveway exiting and resident parking become almost impossible.
Many of our houses are very close to the street. With the proposed additions and the definite increase in traffic, our street will be a haven for disaster.
Six blocks away from our Institute Street, there is a street that bears the name Livingstone Avenue. Problems with mail and other deliveries are sure to arise with names so similar ó and both with the same zip code.
We fail to understand how changing the name of a street will embody a “passion for educating youth” and establish a “committment and support to education.” We also fail to see how a name change and a cosmetic change can attract more students. The strong and sincere attraction must come from within.
I (Dorothy Campbell) am a retired educator and have supported and will continue to support education. I have supported activities and programs at the college, and my husband and other residents try very hard to keep our yards and street presentable. This requires daily trash pickup because we are in the direct path of students traveling to and from the campus.The street name change and cosmetic changes are not solutions, but they will create serious and unwanted problems for many residents of historic South Institute Street.
We would like to see more Livingstone College involvement in the community rather than changing a street name.
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Clayton and Dorothy Campbell have lived on Institute Street for more than 30 years. Mrs. Campbell was a longtime teacher in local public schools.