Tuesday evening, the Uptown Planners, a city recognized community-planning advisory board representing seven communities including Hillcrest, handed a significant victory to the LGBT Community by backing a proposal to rename Blaine Avenue to Harvey Milk Way. Blaine Avenue runs about five blocks from the LGBT Center to Cleveland Avenue.
The proposal had significant resistance as a motion was introduced to deny the request. That motion was defeated in a 4-5 vote. The proposal was approved immediately after passing with a 6-4 vote. At the same time as the vote to approve the measure was taking place, several Board Members were counting ballots for elections to the planning board. It is unclear how their votes would have affected the outcome of the measure.
Dwayne Crenshaw, Executive Director of San Diego LGBT Pride, a major backer of the proposal, told San Diego LGBT Weekly, “This is a significant step forward, it is fitting that Harvey Milk have a street named after him in San Diego considering that he got his start here in the Navy. It’s even more fitting that that street lead to the LGBT Center.”
The proposal will now go to the San Diego Planning Commission and then to the San Diego City Council for final approval. This decision is the second victory for LGBT allies and activists. In February, the Uptown Planners approved a proposal to build a 65’ tall Flag pole which would fly a large rainbow flag year-round on a median at the intersection of Normal Street and University Avenue.
