Keep Market Street Group Demands a Vote on Name

Although the Martin Luther King Way street signs are already going up, members of the Keep Market Street Committee continue to express their anger over the San Diego City Council’s decision to rename Market Street after the slain civil rights leader.

In a press conference Wednesday, Tod Firotto, co-chairman of the committee and owner of a business on the street, said the committee is fighting to get the issue placed on the November ballot.

“We are going to convince the City Council that we would not like to see the name of Market Street changed to any name because of its historical significance,” Firotto said. Firotto’s San Diego Restaurant Supply has been on Market Street for 18 years.

In an attempt to show that most San Diegans also disagree with the council’s decision, committee members distributed the results of a Todd Research survey that supported the committee’s claim.

The survey found that 64% of those polled disagreed with the council’s decision to rename Market Street and that more than 86% of those polled agreed that the issue should be placed before the voters.

Firotto said 500 registered voters from different parts of the city were chosen to participate in the survey.

The committee submitted a ballot measure proposal that will be heard by council members Monday. The council has until July 28 to decide whether the proposal will be placed on the Nov. 4 ballot.

In April, the council voted to rename Market Street. Councilwoman Abbe Wolfsheimer was the only dissenter.

“I would certainly support the committee’s efforts to put this issue on the ballot,” she said.

Committee members said that their opposition to renaming the street is not a racial or financial issue.

“We are concerned as merchants on Market Street that we will lose some of our heritage with the renaming of the street,” said G.T. Frost, also co-chairman of the committee and owner of Frost Hardwood Lumber Co., which has been on Market Street for 63 years.

“The council can come up with an alternative to Market Street,” Frost said. “I have heard Imperial Avenue and Highway 94 mentioned as alternatives.” But Frost added that it was not the job of the committee to offer an alternative.

Without support of the council for putting the issue on the ballot, the committee would need to gather 70,000 voters’ signatures on a petition.

“Regardless what happens on Monday, we are going to continue with this issue,” Frost said. “We are committed to it.”

Councilman William Jones, who supported the renaming of the street, said he doubts that the issue will be on the November ballot.

“This has the potential of becoming a very unproductive effort with a long-lasting impact on human relations and race relations in this city,” Jones said. “To undo something like this would be very insensitive.”