LEGOLAND Wants to Change Street Name; Some Residents Not Happy

Welcome to LEGOLAND Boulevard.

That's what the developers of the world's largest LEGOLAND theme park are hoping to say once approval is given to rename a street in Orange County.

The 150-acre theme park is scheduled to open in July. Ahead of the ribbon-cutting, crews are working feverishly to complete the $450 million project in Goshen. Part of the work includes making sure traffic flows smoothly from visitors approaching the park from Route 17.

Exit 125 is being reconfigured to quickly bring cars over Route 17 to the entrance on Harriman Drive. In order to make it easier for people to find the park with GPS, LEGOLAND is seeking to rename that section of Harriman Drive to LEGOLAND Boulevard.

According to CBS News, the change has ruffled some feathers with local residents who don't like the idea of changing the name. It's no surprise since we seem to be in a culture where people want to believe that any change is bad.. Those complaining about the LEGOLAND Boulevard didn't seem to cite any good reason not to make the switch, aside from their own preference. One woman told CBS "I think we should keep it like it is, for the old-timers," Another just said "“I think they should leave it alone. I think the street should remain Harriman Drive,"

Others point to the historical impact of Edward Henry Harriman, who the road is named after. LEGOLAND insists, however, that the name will remain the same for the entire stretch of Harriman Drive, except for the short part that will lead to the entrance of the park.

Ironically, others in the story complain that they believe the park would bring too much traffic and pollution to the area. Changing the name of that short stretch of Harriman Drive, however, would help make sure that visitors don't get lost and wind up clogging up the surrounding area. Typing the LEGOLAND Boulevard address into their GPS would be much more effective than using a Harriman Drive address.

The town board will be voting on the name change this Thursday. The vote, however, isn't binding. Only the State Legislature has the power to actually change the name of the road, which will most likely happen whether people like it or not.

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