City to Resume Renaming Duplicate Streets

Summer Street in Springvale will soon be renamed.

Credit: Google

By Zendelle Bouchard

The City of Sanford will resume the process of renaming streets where duplicate names exist, according to Planning and Codes Director Jamie Cole. The project began in 2022 when Sherburne Street in Sanford was renamed Tanguay Street to avoid a conflict with Sherburne Street in Springvale.

Cole told the City Council’s Municipal Operations and Property Subcommittee on Aug. 13 that “dozens and dozens” of duplicate street names throughout the city create headaches for package deliveries and can cause potentially life-threatening delays for first responders. He described a recent situation where an ambulance had difficulty finding a residence on Oak Hill Road in South Sanford, which is split into two roadways separated by a section of Dunaway Drive.

One section of Oak Hill will be the next to be renamed, followed by Summer Street in Springvale.

Cole said the biggest headache with the process is the length of time it takes Google Maps, used by UPS and FedEx, to update their mapping. Residents will be contacted by the city with clear instructions on how to change their addresses. Cole said the decision on which streets will get to keep their original names will take into account the number of residents who will be affected as well as historical precedence.

In other matters before the subcommittee, Brian Samia of Sanford Soccer presented a request to close Shaw Road between Spur Road and Shaw’s Ridge for the annual soccer tournament in October. The request will move ahead to the full City Council for approval.

Public Works Director Matt Hill brought forward his proposal for a new prequalification process for contractors who do work for the city. The prequalification process would be an amendment to the city’s purchasing policy. He would like to see more of the city’s construction projects done by Sanford contractors, and prequalification might help facilitate that. All agreed to forward the proposal to the full Council for approval.

An update to the city’s lease with the Sanford-Springvale Development Corp. (SSDC) was discussed. SSDC leases and manages the city-owned Anderson Learning Center building in Springvale. City Manager Steve Buck went over the current lease, which has been in effect since 2008, and offered recommendations to update it. Deputy Mayor Maura Herlihy said the SSDC was originally formed when Sanford had a town meeting form of government so that each sublease would not have to be approved at town meeting, but it is no longer needed. Mayor Becky Brink and Buck disagreed, saying the SSDC is working well. Herlihy added that she would very much like the city to sell the property, but Brink responded that the below-market rate allows nonprofits that benefit the community to survive. Much of the discussion centered around how costs for capital improvements to the building should be shared, which all agreed should be spelled out. Buck will update the lease and have it reviewed by the city’s attorney before it comes back for approval.