KEVIN BLANCHARD
theAdvocate Dec 13, 2006

After more than a year of debate, protest and failed votes along racial lines, it appears a compromise may have been reached to designate a major road in Lafayette after slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

Wednesday afternoon, the City-Parish Council issued a news release saying a resolution would be on Tuesday’s agenda to call the portion of Willow Street between Ambassador Caffery Parkway and Teurlings Drive the “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Parkway.”

“It is our hope that this proposal will help us end the year and begin the holiday season in a positive way for the administration, city-parish council and our community,” the release said.

The resolution was “recommended for adoption” by City-Parish Council President Joey Durel, according to the release, and is co-authored by six of the nine councilmen, an indicator that its chances for passage are good.

Under the proposed resolution, the road will be designated with signs at all major intersections, but Willow Street will remain — meaning no businesses or residents will have to change their addresses.

The resolution calls for the signs to be installed within 120 days.

Councilmen Chris Williams and Louis Benjamin — who have led the fight for a name change — are co-authors of the resolution, along with Councilmen Dale Bourgeois, Bruce Conque, Marc Mouton and Rob Stevenson, according to the release.

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