Council approves renaming portion of North Bridges Street to Martin Luther King Street

The Hamlet City Council voted to rename the section of North Bridges Street between Main Street and U.S. 74 as Martin Luther King Street following a public hearing and a voice vote.

The motion to rename the street was made by Stewart, a representative of the Martin Luther King Foundation, who told the council the change was “long overdue” and would make Dr. King’s name more visible to travelers passing on 74. The motion was seconded by the mayor pro tem and put to a voice vote; the chair announced the motion carried by voice vote (no roll-call tally recorded in the transcript).

Residents and stakeholders offered differing views during the hearing. Pastor Tommy LeGrand urged the council to extend the renaming farther — to Jim Mill Road — to make the commemoration more visible, saying the broader extension would send “a message to the entire area.” Helena Brown, representing Saint Peter United Methodist Church, asked the council to consider visibility and address conflicts, noting the town already has other public ways with King-related names and that DOT/address spacing limits must be considered.

Mary McLaurin, who lives on Bridal Street, told the council she and her family did not want their street name changed: “I don’t wanna change,” she said, asking the council to consider the impact on residents required to change addresses. Gerard Anthony Morrison recommended the council pair any renaming with broader planning — such as signage, lighting and sidewalk improvements — and suggested forming a small committee to explore options so the renaming is accompanied by visible, long-term investment.

The council closed the public hearing before taking the motion and recorded the approval by voice vote. The motion as stated on the record was to rename the specified segment of North Bridges Street to Martin Luther King Street, starting at Main Street and extending to Highway 74. The transcript does not include a roll-call vote or a vote tally; the council moved on to subsequent business after the approval.

The council also heard related public comments about improved street lighting, sidewalks and interpretation of local addressing rules; council members and staff noted that DOT/addressing rules and property-owner notifications constrained how far and where a renaming could proceed.

Next steps recorded in the meeting were not detailed in the transcript; the council later moved to a closed session on attorney-client privilege and personnel.