Poll: Should Bonney Lake Rename Old Sumner-Buckley Highway?

At the Sept. 28 city council meeting, Bonney Lake's leadership decided not to vote on renaming Old Sumner-Buckley Highway to something that would honor the memory of local veterans. The conversation was tabeled to an upcoming council workshop.

You can read more about the name-switch debate in this recent article from the Bonney Lake-Sumner Courier Herald.

"I think the council needs more time to see how many people do oppose this," said councilmember Jim Rackley.

Five members of the community spoke out against renaming Old Sumner-Buckley Highway at the meeting during public comment.

"I'm very disheartened and disappointed. You say you want a downtown center, but you are ripping it apart," said , owner of . "There are so many other new roads for you to choose from to rename... Let's keep some of the integrity we've had in the past and honor the people who have been here for a long time."

Swarthout's brother, Randy Tidball, also spoke against the name change, stating it would put local businesses at a disservice.

"What is the expense of for people in this city? They'll have to change their checkbooks, signs and addresses. To change a street address, a lot of costs go with that," said Tidball. "It's money out of our pockets."