A local gun shop in District 1 is asking the city to approve a name change of a street next to its business that would affect a number of local businesses and apartment residents.
Nagel’s Gun Shop on San Pedro Avenue submitted a street name change request on July 20, asking the city to change the name of El Mio Drive, a small street located between San Pedro Avenue and Melliff Drive, to “Nagel’s Crossing.”
But business owners and residents on the street say the address change will inconvenience them, while the gun store — which faces San Pedro and has a San Pedro address itself — would remain unaffected by the renaming.
Business owners on El Mio Drive including the Bang Bang Bar, local paint store EAH San Antonio, Inc. and El Mio Townhomes said they would need to update payroll information to banks and re-register for state permits like liquor and electricity licenses to stay in business.
An employee from Nagel’s Gun Shop visited businesses on El Mio Drive months ago to notify them of the street name change request and asking for support in favor of the change, business owners on El Mio Drive said in separate interviews.
In return, the gun store employee said the company would help nearby businesses cover the costs associated with the name change, according to a business owner. In a letter asking for the community’s support in renaming the street, Robert Nagel Jr. said the name change would be a tribute to the venture’s longstanding presence in the community.
“Nagel’s Gun Shop, Inc. has a remarkable history that dates back to 1942,” Nagel Jr. wrote. “Homer Nagel, a veteran of the Air Force, established the business in his very own garage. … Today, Robert Nagel Jr. carries forward the legacy, overseeing our operations, which have expanded to serve customers nationwide as a respected firearms retailer and distributor.”
Recently, the city said it sent a letter to notify property owners registered on El Mio Drive according to the Bexar County Appraisal District. In the letter issued to landlords, the city recommended notifying all tenants of the proposed street name change.
The city’s development services office will host a community meeting at Westfall Library on Wednesday at 4:45 p.m., and the Planning Commission will host a public hearing on Sept. 27 at 2 p.m. to gather public input.
While community input won’t necessarily change or stop the name-change process, the feedback is included in a packet handed to City Council to help them make their decision.
The Planning Commission will present a recommendation to San Antonio City Council members, who are tentatively scheduled to hear the request on Oct. 5, said Ximena Copa-Wiggins, spokeswoman for the city’s development services department.
Three business owners said this week that they oppose the street name change and at least two of them who knew of Wednesday’s meeting said they planned to show up to express their disagreement.
How to change a street name
According to the city, only a city councilmember, the director of the development services department, a business or property owner on the street or on an abutting street, or a public safety agency can submit a request for a street name change to the city’s development services department, a process which is the same as requesting for memorial designation.
In January, Mayor Ron Nirenberg and District 5 Councilwoman Teri Castillo filed a council consideration request to designate Cevallos Street as Emma Tenayuca Way to recognize the contributions of Mexican Americans in San Antonio.
If the person submitting the request does not own a property on the street they want to change the name of, they must own a property near the street they want to change.
On Tuesday, the city said Nagel’s Gun Shop does not have property on El Mio Drive, but it does have property on San Pedro Avenue, which intersects El Mio Drive. The area along El Mio Drive is a parking lot where gun shop employees park, the city said.
The application process requires a completed application form, a copy of a letter of approval from the United States Postal Service verifying that the proposed street name isn’t duplicated anywhere else, five alternative street names just in case, the names and addresses of the property owners according to Bexar County tax rolls, a nonrefundable $1,000 application fee and for the applicant to cover all associated costs for manufacturing and replacing all applicable street signs.
The gun store proposed Nagel’s Crossing and Nagel’s Place as new street names. Associated fees to make the change are about $3,100, Copa-Wiggins said.
After an application is submitted, the development services department issues an application receipt within 10 days, then reviews the application for 10 business days, called a technical review period. The Office of Historic Preservation determines whether the street name change request requires review from the Historic and Design Review Commission (HDRC).
A street name change request would require HDRC review only if the change happens within a local or national historic district or if its part of a city’s major thoroughfare plan.
If a request requires HDRC review, it won’t be scheduled for Planning Commission consideration until the HDRC issues its recommendation. When the technical review is completed, the request is scheduled for a public hearing at the city’s next Planning Commission meeting, which includes nine San Antonio citizens, a councilmember, city manager, the zoning commission chair, and the zoning board of adjustment chair.
After the recommendation, the request will be scheduled for the next City Council meeting.
The city said if the Nagel’s Crossing name change is approved, 13 properties in District 1 would need to go through an address change, including two apartment complexes.
On Monday, two tenants who spoke only Spanish said that a change of address would complicate communication from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, which uses mail to send information and issue important documents, they said, and from Medicaid.
“Sometimes [immigration] sends me letters. I’m actually waiting on my health insurance card so I can go to the doctor. I’m not sure if they’ve sent it or if they’re sending it,” said Franklin Jimenez, a resident of El Mio Townhomes for about nine months.
For the EAH paint store, which ships to Mexico and Canada, the street name change raises an array of issues, said Seth Martin, owner of EAH San Antonio, Inc., which has operated for 20 years on El Mio Drive.
“Both legally and ethically, I have to have my contact information on those cans. I have to have it on the [material safety data] sheets,” Martin said. “While new labels may sound like a simple thing, I’m talking about thousands of gallons of in-house material that has to be changed. At a best estimate, my cost, not counting lost shipments, lost payments, I’d be looking at $15,000 to $20,000 right off the bat.”
Families that live at El Mio Townhomes said they will need to update their children’s school addresses for bus pick up and update their driver’s licenses, at least.
Why rename El Mio Drive?
Nagel’s Gun Shop would not comment on the street name change request.
In the letter shared with some business owners, Nagel Jr. said the gun store’s role in witnessing undeveloped land become a vibrant neighborhood since the 1950s has contributed to the area’s history and culture.
The letter also cited Homer Nagel’s success in winning the Wimbledon Trophy at the Camp Perry National Matches, the most prestigious prize in long-range rifle shooting, while also crafting custom rifles and managing the company’s retail operation as reasons for the tribute.
“We take immense pride in the relationships we have built over the years,” Nagel wrote. “By renaming the streets to Nagel’s Crossing, we seek not only to honor our heritage but also reaffirm the commitment to the community that has been our home for generations.”
“Your positive consideration will be an invaluable contribution to the preservation of our shared history and the continued growth of our vibrant neighborhood,” the letter said.
Owner of the Bang Bang Bar Jamie Hoppe said their business hasn’t always seen eye-to-eye with Nagel’s, and they’ve had issues with parking between the two properties. Hoppe said she did not receive the letter.
“I realize they’ve been here for a really long time, but that’s not the culture we create. We’re really inclusive businesses,” Hoppe said. “The thought of renaming our street name to them — not something we want.”
The owner of El Mio Townhomes, who asked not to be named, said he opposed the street name change and that he was voicing his concern in a letter to the city on behalf of his tenants.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and I commend them for being in business as long as they have, that’s good,” he said. “But it’s curious to me that they’re trying to change the name of a street that their address is not [on].”
