JONESBORO — The Jonesboro City Council is moving forward with renaming a street tied to the city’s segregated past.
At their Monday, Jan. 8 meeting, Council members unanimously approved to move forward with the renaming of Whiteline Street.
According to information presented at the meeting, Rose Greene, of Starr Drive, made city officials aware of the history of the name of Whiteline Street.
From a plat and deeds, the name appears to reference an old demarcation line between white and Black subdivisions in the city.
“I think this is a good symbolic gesture to get rid of some portions of the past of the city that were unfortunate,” said Jonesboro Community Development Director David Allen.
Whiteline Street is only about one-tenth of a mile off Old Stockbridge Road and Irvin Street. Whiteline then becomes Starr Drive, which Allen said can be confusing as to where Whiteline Street ends and Starr Drive begins.
There are only about 10 property owners on Whiteline and half of those lots are vacant. Of the properties on Whiteline, Allen said only two are lived in by property owners and the rest are rentals.
The City sent letters to all property owners on the street and received no responses either for or against the renaming of the street.
The City hasn’t decided what to rename the street but some ideas are just making it an extension of Starr Drive, restoring the name of Edwards Drive, or renaming it Horizon Street.
When asked about how the renaming of the street would affect postal delivery and 911 service, Allen said if the street is made an extension of Starr Drive, it would make it easier for 911.
The cost to rename the street would be $50 to $100 to replace a street sign.
“We are slowly trying to dissolve a remnant of the past that weren’t so pleasurable for all of us,” Jonesboro Mayor Donya Sartor said and added the most logical solution would be to make Whiteline an extension of Starr Drive.
