OGDEN — A decision on what to do with a confusing Ogden street will have to wait until next year.
The city council voted Tuesday to continue a public hearing on an action that would change the name of a street in the Forest Green Estates subdivision from South Oakcrest Drive to Aspen Drive.
The road in question begins at Taylor Avenue, just north of 4600 South, and shifts slightly to the south as it hits Fillmore.
According to the city engineering division, there has been a long history of confusion on the street for people trying to find homes in the area.
Visitors, mail and delivery services, and most importantly, emergency services have all encountered trouble when navigating the neighborhood, because there already exists an Oakcrest Drive to the street’s immediate northeast.
Russ Eldredge, from the city’s engineering office, said the biggest cause of confusion on the street is modern GPS software, used by many emergency responders, including firefighters and police.
Eldredge said GPS software recognizes ‘south’ as a direction and not part of a street name. So when a resident would call for emergency assistance from a South Oakcrest address, the system would automatically default to Oakcrest.
At a public hearing that was to decide the fate of the road, residents of the neighborhood bickered about what to call the street.
The city originally wanted to change the name of South Oakcrest to 4550 South where it runs between Taylor and Fillmore avenues. And where it runs between Fillmore and 1630 East, the city wanted to name it 4560 South.
But several residents are against that idea, saying they want a street name that is more personal and in line with other tree-named streets in the neighborhood.
Forest Green resident Lisa Goff has presented the council with a petition signed by other residents who preferred changing the street to Aspen Drive instead of a number.
But another group of residents thinks that changing the street to a number is the best way to put an end to all the confusion.
George Cobabe, who lives on the street, told the city he’s in favor of the number option over the name option and is upset that the council is considering the name option as a result of the petition. Cobabe said not all residents were given the petition.
The council will hold a special work session on the matter Dec. 11 and will make a final decision on the road in January.
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