Former Rebel Drive in Kyle to be renamed Veterans Drive

Six months after its creation, the W RM 150 Renaming Committee presented the Kyle City Council with a recommendation to replace the controversial Rebel Drive street name.

After backlash from its first proposed renaming to Fajita Drive, city council rescinded the decision and created a committee to help increase public input.

“We scheduled a series of meetings,” Committee Chair Vanessa Westbrook said. “They were designed so that the committee could meet and then have time to go and talk with neighbors. We gathered lots of information from a lot of people.”

Starting with a list of 72 street name suggestions, the committee went through each one with its history and community role in mind, Westbrook explained.

“Right now, there’s no significant indication that Kyle has for veterans, and this would be a step in the right direction,” Kyle AMVETS Commander Kerman Hammond, Sr. said in favor of the committee’s recommendation. “Kyle has an adopt-a-street program, so we will adopt ‘Veterans Drive’ and take care of it.”

With ‘Veterans Drive’ being the top voted choice among committee members and residents, the names ‘Albert Taylor Street’ and ‘Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd’ were also recommended for future roads.

After some discussion and expressed appreciation, council members enthusiastically agreed with the committee’s final recommendation. A ceremony for the renaming will be held on Memorial Day, May 31.

The state highway will continue to be referred to as W RM 150 until the city votes to approve the renaming in an official ordinance at a future meeting.