Maynard Is Logical But What About Belgrade Notch?

Who would ever name a reet Vellucci? No one except jaybe someone in the Vellucci family. But can you imagine having to teil someone youraddress? "What was , the name of that street? Couldyou please repeatitANDspeWit." That isn't a prtoblem in Ann Arbor, where, altnough most streets are namedafter persons well-known in the community or families of fee early developers, most namet are easy to spell and to pi"onounce. Lawrence Street, for example, was named for Judge Edwin Lawrence and for awhile the portion of Lawrence up to State Street was called the Bowery. The Ann Arbor Land Co. was formed about 1836 by William S. Maynard, Charles Thayer, Chester Ingalls, E. W. Morgan and D. B. Brown. They platted a large piece of land east of Main Street and south of Liberty Street. Maynard gave his name to two streets, Maynard and William. Thayer's name is on one street, as is Ingalls'. Judge Lawrence owned a large tract of which Ferry Field was a part and streets in that area are named for him and his family: Edwin; Sybil, his wife; and Benjamin, John and Mary, their children. W Huron Street used to be known as Piety HUI because several Presbyterian ministers had homes there. Scattered over the town are names of professors and University presidents. Tappan is named for the second U-M president, Henry Philip Tappan, who held office from 1852-1863. Haven is named for president Erastus Otis Haven, U-M president from 1863-1869; Ruthven for Alexander Grant Ruth ven, U-M president from 1929-51; and Hutchins for Harry Burns Hutchins, U-M president from 1909-1920. Prescott is named for a chemistry professor. Forest Avenue took its name from a piece of woods known as Millen's woods, owned by Chauncey Millen and extending from Hill Street almost to South University. Hill Street was named for G. D. Hill, who had a fine old home on land extending from east of Tappan on Hill to Packárd Street. Packard Street was first called Grove Street, then S. Ypsilanti Road and finally Packard after a man of that name who lived nn it. Many of the settlers on the north side must have come from New York City as we have Broadway, Wall Street, Maiden Lañe and Canal Street Nowadays, most streets are named by developers of the particular subdivisión. According to the city land development regulations, a developer suggesting a name has to have it reviewed by the city Planning Department and the City Council. Building and Safety Department, Pólice and Fire Departments must ' afíproveit. The name is reviewed by those departments to assure that there won't be confusión with any other local street and that it is easily pronounceable and won't cause any conflict or confusión in receiving emergency calis, according to acting planning director John Hyslop. Belgrade Noten in Ann Arbor Township was named by its developer, Samuel Dameron, who is f rom Maine where the space bet ween two hills is called a notch, according to Charles Stnarf . tumnshin supervisor. In Maine there is a lake named Lake Belgrade and in order to get through it, a person must drive through the notch. The notch is called Belgrade Notch because the lake can be seen from it. When the road through the subdivisión was being graded, two hills were created and from the road between them, Barton Pond could be seen. This reminded Dameron of I Belgrade Notch, Stuart said.l so the street was named f orit. I "It couldn't be called Bar-J ton Pond notch," StuarJ chuckled. An unwritten rule in Ann Arbor is to not name streets after living persons. To rèname a street, a group I of citizens must obtain a petition with a majority of persons living on that street favoring the name change. It is then submitted to the Planning Department and sent to City Council for approval. The most recent controversy surrounding a street name change was the request to change Harbel Drive to Defiance Moraine by residents on Harbal Drive. Harbal is a cul de sac on Ann Arbor's northeast side situated between Plymouth Road and Broadway. It is located on Defiance Moraine, a geological phenomenon that stretches to Defiance, Ohio. A moraine is rock and soil deposited by a glacier. The name change attempt was instigated by Elizabeth Patterson, of 1605 Harbal, who feit city streets should be named after something of local or regional significance. The name of Harbal came from a combination of Harry balus, a former city councilman and a member of a longtime Ann Arbor family which plattedthatareaoftown. City Council turned down the name change request at its July 30 meeting, saying the change would cost the Planning Department alone $1,000 for map and street sign I changes and similar expenses would be required in other departments. Besides the cost, former Planning Department Director Michael Prochaska said there was some doubt that the moraine ly runs through ti at area. He said there is - some speculation that Harbal might be located instead on just a "washout" of the moraine. Harbrook is named for early settlers, Brooks and Harkins, who were responsible for platting part of that area. Miller Avenue is named for a banker by that name who had a home near the entrance to West Park. A development to the north of Miller Avenue bears the names of old settlers, Gott. Felch and Miner. Maybe Vellucci Boulevard wouldn't be so bad after all.