Alexandria is launching a pilot program and new process for residents to request changes to street names in the City of Alexandria.
"The purpose of this policy and pilot program is to provide standard procedures for street renaming requests for roadways bearing the names of Confederate soldiers and leaders.... This pilot program provides guidance for renaming of up to three streets. Upon completion of renaming three streets, the Naming Committee will reevaluate the procedures or discontinue the program," according to the new program.
For any road listed on the Inventory of Confederate Street Names, which was updated in June, a person who wishes to change a street name can submit a request through the Alexandria Permit and Planning portal (APEX). It must include signatures from at least 25% of property owners along the roadway and a public/community meeting on the issue, along with other requirements.
The inventory includes more than 30 street names that are or are believed to be connected to Confederate history. The largest of these streets include Beauregard Street, Janney's Lane and Van Dorn Street. (See the full list here.)
The Alexandria Times reported that earlier this summer, residents started a petition to change the name of another street name believed to have a Confederate connection — Lee Street. The residents, connected to the organization Reconstruction Alexandria, knocked on doors this summer to collect signatures along the mostly-residential street, which runs north-south in Old Town.
Reconstruction Alexandria describes itself as a "nonpartisan campaign to change the names of racist/confederate streets, buildings, you name it, in the city of Alexandria." In addition to a Twitter account, the organization hosts a private Facebook group.
The petition to change the name of Lee Street is the latest in a series of public requests from various organizations and residents to rename prominent public spaces in Alexandria and in Fairfax County.
Robert E. Lee High School in Fairfax County was renamed John Lewis High School in 2020. T. C. Williams High School officially became Alexandria City High School in July of this year. Fairfax County Supervisor Rodney Lusk hosted a town hall to discuss the name of the Lee District in Fairfax County.
In 2020, the United Daughters of the Confederacy removed the Appomattox statue in the intersection of Washington and Prince streets. The bronze statue commemorated Confederate soldiers from Alexandria and had stood for more than 100 years.
More similarly, Jefferson Davis Highway in Alexandria was renamed Richmond Highway at the start of 2019. Doing so cost the City of Alexandria only about $27,000 in new signage, but businesses and residents along that stretch of road spent their own time and money to update their addresses.
In addition, Arlington County voted in July to rename U.S. 29 (formerly Lee Highway). The new name is Langston Highway.
