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Circle I Road now includes Virginia Avenue
By CAROL BROEDER/Arizona Range News
A measure changing the name of North Virginia Avenue to Circle I Avenue failed 4-2 at last Monday's Willcox City Council meeting.
After the vote, Councilman Elwood "Woody" Johnson made a motion to change the name instead to "Circle I Road," which passed unanimously.
The Arizona Department of Transportation's Exit 340 project, scheduled to begin in May, will reconfigure Circle I Road to cut across currently vacant property and connect with Virginia Avenue.
At its Nov. 3 meeting, the city's Planning and Zoning Commission made a recommendation to the council to change the name of North Virginia Avenue to North Circle I Avenue.
Enness T. "Ted" Arnold, owner of Circle I Farms, wanted to see the name changed instead to Circle I Road.
"The renaming of Virginia Avenue to Circle I Road will eliminate most of my concerns of lost business from out-of-town agri-tourism based customers...business lost due to confused folks, unfamiliar with the area, trying to navigate a super busy interchange while trying to find Circle I Road," said Arnold, adding that new ADOT signage may not address the problem.
"Once Circle I Road is eliminated, it will be gone along with the benefits the Circle I Road business owners enjoyed," Arnold said in an e-mail message to the city prior to the Nov. 15 council meeting.
John Staebel, owner of Magic Circle RV Park, 700 North Virginia Ave., spoke during the public hearing, "I do speak in favor of this resolution with a number of qualifications."
He said that though his business is south of Fort Grant Road, it is considered North Virginia Avenue because it lies north of Airport Road.
"I think of this resolution as kind of a band-aid," Staebel said, "In the short term, it's an easy fix. But in the long-term it could lead to more confusion. Probably 90 percent of the people in Willcox don't know where Virginia Avenue is."
Staebel pointed out that north of Fort Grant Road, it would be named Circle I and south of Fort Grant Road it would still be named North Virginia Avenue.
"Why not change the whole thing to Circle I Road or Circle I something? I think in the long run that would be the way to go," he said.
City Manager Gilbert Davidson suggested proceeding with the name change of the section north of Fort Grant Road. He added that if the North Virginia Avenue business owners south of Fort Grant Road are also interested in a name change, "we can hold another public hearing."
Prior to the vote, Willcox businessman Jim Martin, also a State Transporation Board member, said if the council changes the name to Circle I Road "the issue with Mr. Arnold disappears, and the issue with the business owners disappears. And you have the convenience of one sign that says Circle I Road."
Martin also expressed concern about time growing short before the May start date.
"We're pushing the eight-ball in this situation," he said.
The council decision was made this month so that ADOT can make new road signs.
"We are very pleased the council decided on the name of Circle I Road," Arnold said Friday. "We are grateful our customers will have simple directions to find us from the I-10 Exit 340/Fort Grant Road interchange."
"We have very special plans for our farm and farm store and Circle I Road is extremely important to our plans. We extend our thanks to the council and others involved in this good decision," he said. "We believe everyone will agree this was a good decision after they see what we have in store for fun and excitement on our U-pick farm."
Bill Harmon, with ADOT's Safford District, told the Range News that safety and access are the primary reasons Circle I is being realigned.
"Currently there is less than 250 feet separation between the I-10 off-ramp and Circle I Road. Traffic that would like to turn onto Circle I Road, at its current location, has sometimes mistakenly turned off of Fort Grant Road onto the freeway off ramp," he said. "This traffic, which is now heading in the wrong direction on the off ramp, becomes a safety hazard for the oncoming traffic."
Both the city and the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) have indicated this happens occasionally due to the close proximity of the off ramp to the existing Circle I Road, Harmon said.
The reconstructed Fort Grant Road will have a raised median island that will require the vehicles coming from Circle I Road (if left in its current location) to go west to the Virginia Avenue intersection and make a "U" turn to access the I-10 or travel into the main portion of the city, he said.
"This not only introduces challenges for the motoring public but also becomes a hindrance to the operational characteristics of the Virginia Avenue and Fort Grant Road intersection," Harmon said.
ADOT will provide clear signage to Circle I Road from Fort Grant Road to ensure anyone wanting to travel on Circle I will get there quickly and easily, he said.
After the vote, Councilman Elwood "Woody" Johnson made a motion to change the name instead to "Circle I Road," which passed unanimously.
The Arizona Department of Transportation's Exit 340 project, scheduled to begin in May, will reconfigure Circle I Road to cut across currently vacant property and connect with Virginia Avenue.
At its Nov. 3 meeting, the city's Planning and Zoning Commission made a recommendation to the council to change the name of North Virginia Avenue to North Circle I Avenue.
Enness T. "Ted" Arnold, owner of Circle I Farms, wanted to see the name changed instead to Circle I Road.
"The renaming of Virginia Avenue to Circle I Road will eliminate most of my concerns of lost business from out-of-town agri-tourism based customers...business lost due to confused folks, unfamiliar with the area, trying to navigate a super busy interchange while trying to find Circle I Road," said Arnold, adding that new ADOT signage may not address the problem.
"Once Circle I Road is eliminated, it will be gone along with the benefits the Circle I Road business owners enjoyed," Arnold said in an e-mail message to the city prior to the Nov. 15 council meeting.
John Staebel, owner of Magic Circle RV Park, 700 North Virginia Ave., spoke during the public hearing, "I do speak in favor of this resolution with a number of qualifications."
He said that though his business is south of Fort Grant Road, it is considered North Virginia Avenue because it lies north of Airport Road.
"I think of this resolution as kind of a band-aid," Staebel said, "In the short term, it's an easy fix. But in the long-term it could lead to more confusion. Probably 90 percent of the people in Willcox don't know where Virginia Avenue is."
Staebel pointed out that north of Fort Grant Road, it would be named Circle I and south of Fort Grant Road it would still be named North Virginia Avenue.
"Why not change the whole thing to Circle I Road or Circle I something? I think in the long run that would be the way to go," he said.
City Manager Gilbert Davidson suggested proceeding with the name change of the section north of Fort Grant Road. He added that if the North Virginia Avenue business owners south of Fort Grant Road are also interested in a name change, "we can hold another public hearing."
Prior to the vote, Willcox businessman Jim Martin, also a State Transporation Board member, said if the council changes the name to Circle I Road "the issue with Mr. Arnold disappears, and the issue with the business owners disappears. And you have the convenience of one sign that says Circle I Road."
Martin also expressed concern about time growing short before the May start date.
"We're pushing the eight-ball in this situation," he said.
The council decision was made this month so that ADOT can make new road signs.
"We are very pleased the council decided on the name of Circle I Road," Arnold said Friday. "We are grateful our customers will have simple directions to find us from the I-10 Exit 340/Fort Grant Road interchange."
"We have very special plans for our farm and farm store and Circle I Road is extremely important to our plans. We extend our thanks to the council and others involved in this good decision," he said. "We believe everyone will agree this was a good decision after they see what we have in store for fun and excitement on our U-pick farm."
Bill Harmon, with ADOT's Safford District, told the Range News that safety and access are the primary reasons Circle I is being realigned.
"Currently there is less than 250 feet separation between the I-10 off-ramp and Circle I Road. Traffic that would like to turn onto Circle I Road, at its current location, has sometimes mistakenly turned off of Fort Grant Road onto the freeway off ramp," he said. "This traffic, which is now heading in the wrong direction on the off ramp, becomes a safety hazard for the oncoming traffic."
Both the city and the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) have indicated this happens occasionally due to the close proximity of the off ramp to the existing Circle I Road, Harmon said.
The reconstructed Fort Grant Road will have a raised median island that will require the vehicles coming from Circle I Road (if left in its current location) to go west to the Virginia Avenue intersection and make a "U" turn to access the I-10 or travel into the main portion of the city, he said.
"This not only introduces challenges for the motoring public but also becomes a hindrance to the operational characteristics of the Virginia Avenue and Fort Grant Road intersection," Harmon said.
ADOT will provide clear signage to Circle I Road from Fort Grant Road to ensure anyone wanting to travel on Circle I will get there quickly and easily, he said.
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