Stretch of 2 Streets Urged as Dr. King Ave.

San Diego City Manager Sylvester Murray recommended Thursday that a five-mile section of Euclid Avenue and 54th Street--from the National City border north to El Cajon Boulevard--be renamed Dr. King Avenue in memory of Martin Luther King Jr.

Murray’s recommendation, which will be considered by the City Council’s Rules Committee on March 3, is the result of a Jan. 13 council decision to approve the idea of naming a major street in honor of the slain civil rights leader.

The initial request seeking the street designation came from Michel Anderson, the San Diego representative to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. California Holiday Commission. Anderson was unavailable for comment an Murray’s recommendation.

But Rich Juarez, executive assistant to Councilman William Jones, through whose Southeast San Diego council district much of the renamed street would run, said Jones had leaned more toward renaming a freeway after King.

“This presents us the same problem as Imperial Avenue (a major thoroughfare in Jones’ district and Murray’s alternate recommendation),” said Juarez. “We wanted some diversity reflected in the area selected. Also, there’s not a whole lot of traffic on either of these streets. What’s important now is to get some reaction from the residents and businesses out there.”

Assistant City Manager John Lockwood said Murray made his recommendation on the basis of a Jan. 23 public meeting in the Southeast area--at which the Euclid-54th option topped all others--plus “letters, phone calls . . . and his own view.”

The renaming of a freeway was given a low ranking by Murray, Lockwood said, because “most people told us they wanted a surface street . . . where they could hold parades and those types of things.”

Murray wants to change Euclid to Dr. King Avenue from the National City border to 54th Street intersection, a 2 1/2-mile northern stretch that goes past Imperial, Market Street and under California 54, a freeway.

At the 54th Street intersection, Euclid would continue west under its current name. But 54th, as it runs north about 2 1/2 miles to El Cajon Boulevard, would be part of the new Dr. King Avenue. Across El Cajon Boulevard, however, the street would again become 54th.

Murray, in a report to the Rules Committee, said his proposed name change would affect 410 residences and 150 businesses. “There are a number of considerations involved in changing a street name,” Murray said in the report. “Residents and businesses will have to change personal checks, stationery, business cards, etc. In addition, the . . . Postal Service and Emergency Services Agency would have to make changes.”

It’s also obvious that new street and freeway exit signs would be required, the report said, but the exact costs are not yet known.

Murray said that before the City Council makes a final decision, another public hearing should be held so that all affected property owners, renters and businesses with a direct interest could have an opportunity to comment on the proposal.

Among the streets suggested as candidates for renaming by the approximately 50 people who attended the Jan. 23 public meeting were Market Street; Broadway; Torrey Pines Road; Tierrasanta Boulevard; Prospect Street; Friars Road; El Cajon Boulevard; Harbor Drive; C Street; Ocean View Boulevard; Interstates 5, 8, 15 and 805, and California routes 52, 94, 163 and 252.