2001-07-23 CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING MEETING MINUTES295
MINUTES OF A PUBLIC HEARING OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
PEARLAND, TEXAS, HELD ON JULY 23, 2001, AT 6:00 P.M., IN THE COUNCIL
CHAMBERS, CITY HALL, 3519 LIBERTY DRIVE, PEARLAND, TEXAS.
The meeting was called to order with the following present:
Mayor
Mayor Pro -Tem
Councilmember
Councilmember
Councilmember
Councilmember
City Manager
City Attorney
City Secretary
Tom Reid
Larry Marcott
Richard Tetens
Woody Owens
Larry Wilkins
Klaus Seeger
Bill Eisen
Darrin Coker
Young Lorfing
Others in attendance: Deputy City Manager Alan Mueller; City Engineer John Hargrove.
PURPOSE OF HEARING - TO CONSIDER A REQUEST BY THE PEARLAND
HISTORICAL SOCIETY TO RENAME A SEGMENT OF FITE ROAD BETWEEN HATFIELD
AND OLD CHOCOLATE BAYOU ROAD AS "DOHERTY ROAD" TO REFLECT THE
HISTORICAL NAME OF THE ROAD.
STAFF REVIEW OF PROPOSED - RENAMING A SEGMENT OF FITE ROAD. Mr. Alan
Mueller, Deputy City Manager.
City Manager, Bill Eisen, stated the previously scheduled Public Hearing on this matter had
to be rescheduled. The purpose of this hearing is to hear public testimony regarding
renaming a section of Fite Road, which runs from Hatfield Road to Old Chocolate Bayou
Road. This particular roadway had a different name prior to being annexed into the City and
for purposes of continuity was renamed Fite Road.
CITIZEN COMMENTS
David Perez, 5622 Fite Road, addressed Council and stated he represents approximately
20 residents who signed a petition which states they do not want the road name changed
again. He further stated they had enough problems the first time the address was changed.
An example of some of the problems faced were in receiving social security checks, having
to pay a $10.00 address change fee for Texas drivers' licenses, address changes for
electricity, gas, credit cards, insurance, IRA, Money Market accounts, etc. He also stated
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it was too much of a hassle the first time the address was changed and he and the other
residents in his area do not want the road name changed again.
John Mark, 2029 Isla Drive, addressed Council and stated he is the President of Pearland
Historical Society and also a long time resident of Pearland. He reported the Pearland
Historical Society gave the City a Resolution some time ago with reasons for changing the
name back to Doherty Road. He further stated this road was Doherty Road for many years
and then went through a metamorphosis with the road name being misspelled as Daughtery
Road but eventually this was corrected. Mr. Mark stated he empathizes with residents
currently living on the road as he had been through this himself when he had a business in
South Houston whose zip code was changed and later the telephone number was changed
due to an area code change. He would like for everyone to consider the historical value of
this road and retain Pearland's historical names. The Doherty brothers came to Pearland
in the early 1900's and established a dairy farm on the end of Doherty Road across Old
Chocolate Bayou Road, which is now Cullen Road. The old-timers who still live in Pearland
remember buying ice from the Doherty's. This road was Doherty Road long before it was
anything else. In closing, Mr. Mark reported the Resolution had been presented and hopes
the citizens living on Fite Road will understand and realize the initial change was made
through a governmental process and would also like for them to consider it's historical value
and change the road name back to Doherty Road.
Frank Drapella, 6827 Fite Road, addressed Council and stated he moved to Pearland in
1987 and his road was named Daughtery Road. He reported when the City annexed him
it was renamed Fite Road, which made perfect sense to him even though it was a pain to
change everything around. He would like for it to remain Fite Road and suggested a
historical marker be placed on the road instead of changing the name again. Mr. Drapella
further stated he would like Council to not give in to a special interest group which would
mean residents living on this road would go through the expense of changing their address
again.
Marguerite Massey -Smith addressed Council and stated she was born and reared in
Pearland and helped her father build most of the historical roads. She stated she
represents the State of Texas and was picked to do all the work in this area. She reported
she also represents the Texas Historical Commission, Brazoria County Historical
Commission and is a member of the Pearland Historical Commission. Ms. Smith reported
she would like the road name restored to Doherty Road. The reason for the misspelling of
Daughtery when it was supposed to be Doherty was because of all the different maps that
have been made for this area and the lack of checking how the road names are spelled.
The Doherty family came over from Ireland in 1917 and moved up north. The family had
friends living here so they came to live in Pearland. She further explained the history of the
road and how the road name has changed from Doherty to Nelson Road and then to Fite
Road.
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Maria Salazar addressed Council and stated she has lived on this road for thirty years and
has had a hard time with all of the road name changes. She stated she would like the road
to remain Fite Road.
Juanita Sutherland, 2458 Country Club Drive, addressed Council and stated she is in favor
of the road name being restored to Doherty Road. She has lived in Pearland for seventy
years and remembers Doherty Road, as it was named originally. Her family used to go to
the Doherty's to buy ice for their iceboxes. Ms. Sutherland stated in all of her years of
growing up in Pearland the road was named Doherty Road. She understands the residents
on this road want the name to stay as is because they do not want the hassle of changing
addresses again. Her daughter has had two road name changes without it being a big
hassle.
Gary Bucek, 3907 Abbeywood Drive, addressed Council and stated he represents
businesses on Fite Road. His businesses have letterheads, logos and building addresses
they would have to change if the road name changes again. He reported courier services
have had trouble delivering to them because of the numerous name changes. Mr. Bucek
stated, with all due respect to the Historical Society, he would like some sort of compromise
such as a historical marker.
George Clements, 5105 Fite Road, addressed Council and stated he has lived in Pearland
since 1991 and is in favor of keeping the road name as Fite Road.
COUNCIUSTAFF DISCUSSION
Mayor Reid reported Pearland was founded in 1894 and does not have a lot of historical
areas except for the depot, dipping vat, Zychlinksi Park, etc. He stated in the future Council
should, and will, be very careful to preserve these historical names.
Mayor Pro -Tem Marcott stated, in the absence of the Mayor, he was in charge of the
original Public Hearing on June 28, which was canceled due to lack of a quorum, and
apologized for the inconvenience to residents who had to come out again to this meeting
tonight to express their concerns. He reported on some of the comments and concerns
people at that meeting shared with him. He would like the road to remain Doherty for
historical purposes but feels residents should not have to face the trials and tribulations of
changing their address again. Mayor Pro -Tem Marcott stated the road name should remain
Fite Road and then do something to signify that the road was formerly Doherty Road and
recognize the historical value of it.
Councilmember Seeger reported he agrees with Mayor Pro -Tem Marcott and stated there
would be a negative impact on residents living on Fite Road to change the street name
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again. He would like to post some sort of notice that would convey the historical
significance of this road.
Councilmember Wilkins stated he understands the address confusion since he has
personally experienced it himself in his neighborhood. He stated he feels the historical
value of Doherty Road outweighs anything else. He sympathizes with residents living on
Fite Road but feels the historical value outweighs the other issues. If this issue comes
before Council he would support changing the name back to Doherty Road.
Mayor Pro -Tem Marcott stated he would like to know if there is a Resolution or Ordinance
that could be passed which states if anyone wants to change a road name it would have to
go through a review process. If the City will be extending a road, which would also need to
be renamed, could the name be verified to ensure it is not historical.
City Attorney, Darrin Coker, stated an Ordinance could be drawn up to state this but the City
would also have to develop a system for Staff to catch these at the stage of platting
process. He further stated the time to identify the historical road names is at the present
time.
Deputy City Manager, Alan Mueller, reported his request to the Historical Society to provide
a list of historic names and places they would like the City to be aware of. He stated he had
not received the list as of yet.
ADJOURNMENT OF DOCKETED PUBLIC HEARING
ADJOURNMENT
Meeting was adjourned at 6:40 p.m.
Minutes approved as submitted and/or corrected this 13'h day of August A.D., 2001.
ATTEST:
Ut-n €.gid
Tom Reid
Mayor
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