Highway 40 Renamed

[aggie0083]

In an earlier-than-expected move, College Station's City Council took steps to name a new stretch of road.

Thursday, the council decided to name the new Highway 40 and Greens Prairie Road East after William D. Fitch, the former councilman and school board member. Fitch is largely credited with the development of the south side of town, including Southwood Valley and Pebble Creek.

Fitch was the second-leading vote getter in the city's "Name That Road" contest. Of the 702 votes, he garnered 107.

Only Aggie Men's Basketball coach Billy Gillespie earned more votes.

Even with citizen input, the city council had the final decision on naming the street. Thursday's vote was 3-to-1 in favor of Bill Fitch Road, with three council members absent from the meeting. The lone dissenting vote was John Happ's. He said they should have waited until the full council was present to vote on the issue.

Nothing says small town like nameing your freeways after people.

[Original Timmy Chan's]

Nothing says small town like nameing your freeways after people.

Like Houston's Nolan Ryan Expressway (SH 288), Lloyd Bentsen Highway (US 59), Sam Houston Tollway, John Coleman Highway (SH 35 in Harris County), and Ronald Reagan Highway (US 290)? Or Dallas' George Bush Tollway or Tom Landry Highway?

It's more common than you think...

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/statutes/do...0.000225.00.doc

[aggie0083]

Like Houston's Nolan Ryan Expressway (SH 288), Lloyd Bentsen Highway (US 59), Sam Houston Tollway, John Coleman Highway (SH 35 in Harris County), and Ronald Reagan Highway (US 290)? Or Dallas' George Bush Tollway or Tom Landry Highway?

It's more common than you think...

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/statutes/do...0.000225.00.doc

I guess it is. Although typically 288 is called 288, Sam Houston Tollway is called the Beltway, 59 is called the Eastex or the Southwest, and I've never heard of Reagan Highway and I've lived off of 290 the Northwest Freeway for 18 years.

Plus most of those names have National or Statewide Appeal (Ryan, Bush, Houston, Landry), which is quite a different situation.

[zaphod]

that new road is going to suck. it will dump 4 lanes of traffic onto 2 lane wellborn road which is already super congested, and there is no room to widen it.

[aggie0083]

that new road is going to suck. it will dump 4 lanes of traffic onto 2 lane wellborn road which is already super congested, and there is no room to widen it.

Wellborn is going to be widened to 6 lanes.

http://www.dot.state.tx.us/BRY/projects/fm2154.htm

[zaphod]

Wellborn is going to be widened to 6 lanes.

that cant be good. I live on sophia lane. Googe Earth it. my house is only 4 houses down from wellborn road and i can see and hear the cars and trains. BTW, where the f**k are they going to get the land to widen it to SIX? lanes(i assumed 4).Who knows, next time this year i may only live 2 houses down from wellborn road instead of 4 . Okay, i doubt they are taking any houses in the ROW acquistion, but still that sucks. its busy enough where i live.

[aggie0083]

Some info:

Wellborn Road is going to be a six lane roadway. I've got an old "preliminary not for construction

[DSNGIRL]

I guess it is. Although typically 288 is called 288, Sam Houston Tollway is called the Beltway, 59 is called the Eastex or the Southwest, and I've never heard of Reagan Highway and I've lived off of 290 the Northwest Freeway for 18 years.

Plus most of those names have National or Statewide Appeal (Ryan, Bush, Houston, Landry), which is quite a different situation.

I've lived in this area for over 30 years and have never heard the tollway called anything other than the Sam Houston Tollway. The Beltway is new to me. In Dallas I refer to Stemmons Freeway more than I do IH-35 E.

Your comment on these names having National or Statewide appeal being different than that of the name of William D. Fitch is incorrect. I will refer you to the resolution passed by the Texas State Senate in 1995. Apparently our State Government thought this man had enough signifigance in the growth and existence of the home town to the State's largest University.

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlo/74R/billtext/SR00506F.HTM

Perhaps you should learn a little about your local history before making such ignorant statements. The apartment or home you live in during your 4 year visit to our town was likely built by this man. OR the land it stands on was once owned by him and you drive on the beautifully curbed streets built by him to get to school each day. A much bigger contribution than any A&M sports coach that has passed through our town over the years.

PS- By naming SH40 after William D. Fitch is anything but "small town." This man's vision was to make sure CS didn't stay a small town and had constant development and growth.

More on William D. Fitch:

1921 - 1997

Named "Mr. College Station" in 1995

By Resolution of the City Council

--Texas A&M Class of 1942

--Captain, Field Artillery, U.S. Army, W.W. II Veteran

--College Station City Council, 2 Terms from 1950 to 1952

(During his terms on the City Council the population of the City was about 4,000. He was instrumental in passing the City's first ordinances providing for curbed and paved streets, and complete water and sewer development in all city subdivisions.)

--College Station School Board Trustee

--B-CS Homebuilders Association

--Director, Bank of A&M

--Director, Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce

--Director, Brazos River Authority

--Director, College Station Industrial Foundation

--Director, Sam Houston Area Council, Boy Scouts of America

--He was a lifelong homebuilder and land developer. (At his retirement in 1993 approx. one-third of College Station had been developed by him).

--He built the first College Station City Hall building at 101 Church Street.

--Developed a number of College Station subdivisions during the 1960's and '70's, including: Leacrest, The Glade, Ridgefield, West and South Knoll, Southwood, Bee Creek and Dexter Place. During this time period, he provided the land for the new A&M Consolidated High School.

--In the 1970's and 80's he developed Southwood Valley, Southwood Terrace, and Southwood Forest.

--In 1984, he purchased the 956-acre tract at the corner of Greens Prairie and Highway Six, which he later expanded to 1400 acres and became Pebble Creek Subdivision which includes the Pebble Creek Elementary School, and College Station's first Country Club.

--Donated the land for Bee Creek Park.

--Donated the land for the David A. "Andy" Anderson Arboretum.

--Donated the land for Georgie K. Fitch Park (named for Bill's mother).

--Donated the land for Brothers Pond Park.

--Donated the land for a number of other city parks.

--Donated land for several churches.

--Donated land for the Brazos Valley Masonic Library & Museum.

--(While developing Southwood Valley, he had donated twice the parkland required under city ordinance. Today Southwood Valley consists of over 1,100 acres and includes several churches, an elementary school, a hospital, the Masonic Library & Museum, the College Station Medical Center, a Fire Station, the College Station Library, and the Southwood Athletic facilities.)

--St. Thomas Episcopal Church

--Eagle Scout & Scoutmaster

--Sul Ross Lodge No. 1300 - Life Member

--Steve Cooke Scottish Rite Club & the Houston Scottish Rite

--Brazos Valley Shrine Club & Arabia Shrine Temple (Houston)

--College Station Kiwanis Club

--Aggie Club

--Texas A&M Assoc. of Former Students

In 1995, the cities of College Station and Bryan jointly proclaimed April 12, 1995, as "Bill Fitch Appreciation Day." In an interview with a local newspaper reporter, he was asked how he felt about his many accomplishments. Never one to appear boastful, he responded by saying, "Do you know how to tell if someone is important? If they stick their finger in a cup of coffee, and it leaves a hole, then they're important." When he died two years later, he left a hole in the Brazos Valley.

Travis Bryan, Jr., chairman of the board of the First National Bank, said "He was dreamer who made all his dreams come true. He was really responsible for the growth of College Station. It think he really was 'Mr. College Station'."

At the time of his death in 1997, the Eagle Editorial Board published an editorial titled "Bill Fitch was truly Mr. College Station." The article stated in part, "Not only was Bill Fitch a man of vision. He was also a man of service. He donated land for schools and churches and city parks because he knew thay are important to the quality of life in any city. He never waivered from his goal of a better College Station for everyone. Through it all, Bill Fitch remained kind, polite and friendly. He showed great respect for everyone he came in contact with.

"He will be missed. No one should drive down one of College Station's busy streets or through one of its great neighborhoods and not think of him. Be thankful he lived here and cared so much about our community. His vision helped shape College Station into the wonderful place it has become."

[aggie0083]

...

Thank you for educating me. The summary of this man's accomplishments I read before was vastly incomplete. I apologize for my ignorance.

[RedScare]

And, that doesn't even include all of his NBA coaching accomplishments.

[zaphod]

does anyone know the chances of them building a soundproof wall along this road?

anyways, that will be really weird when wellborn is 6 lanes and 2818 has mini interchange. i drive that way every day and its hard to visualize it changing that much.

[GovernorAggie]

Not that weird. Look how empty it is around Wellborn @ 2818.

[txshady]

To my understanding, the original TXDot plans for FM 2818 was for it to be turned into a freeway. When it was first constructed it was referred to as FM 2818/West Bypass with SH 6 being the East Bypass. At one point 2 or 3 years ago I talked with an engineer for the TXDot office here in Bryan and he said they're where/are plans to grade seperate 2818 over Villa Maria and 2818 over Leonard Rd. Although with state funding shortfalls I no longer know if this is the case....