A road in Bel Air could be getting a name change.
Town of Bel Air Commissioner Edward Hopkins has proposed changing the name of Western Alley, a one-way road between Thomas Street and George Street in Howard Park.
After talking to residents of Howard Park, Hopkins said Wednesday, the discussion came up that the name "alley" had a negative connotation and could be deterring house construction on the road.
"That kind of segued into a discussion on what can we do to make it better," he said.
With that in mind, Hopkins went to Charles Robbins, a long-time town resident and historian, who suggested Scott for a name.
The Scott Family, Hopkins said, was influential in developing and founding Bel Air, which was originally called "Scott's Old Fields," according to the town's website.
Names like Scott Avenue or Scott Drive are simple, he added, but flow.
"It just sounds nicer," Hopkins said. "It's more fluid."
The next step is to check with the residents of that street, which Hopkins said has one house that uses Western Alley as an address.
If that household is OK with the name change, the town plans to move forward with it.
"I just thought it was a way to help the community look a little bit nicer," Hopkins said, "or the street sound a bit better."
The name change is his only goal right now, Hopkins said, but in the future he wants to eventually install curbs, gutters and sidewalks on the road.
Those plans, however, are contingent on funding and are farther on down the timeline. Because of the width of the street, too, Hopkins said he will recommend for it to stay a one-way road.
For now, he is working to get the name changed, especially as the town plans to improve Howard Park in the future.
"[It's] something to help build up and bolster the community," he said.