Hermiston Considers Renaming East Airport Road

City to hold public hearing on proposal to change road name to East Veterans Avenue

Apr. 15, 2026 at 5:00am

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A brightly colored, high-contrast silkscreen print of a road sign with the text 'East Airport Road' repeated in a tight grid pattern, conceptually representing the debate over renaming the road in Hermiston, Oregon.A proposed name change for East Airport Road aims to eliminate confusion with the nearby Airport Way and improve public safety and efficiency in Hermiston.Hermiston Today

The Hermiston City Council is considering a proposal to rename East Airport Road to East Veterans Avenue in order to eliminate confusion with the nearby Airport Way that leads to the Hermiston Municipal Airport. The city will hold a public hearing on May 11, 2026 to gather feedback from residents on the potential name change.

Why it matters

The similarity between East Airport Road and Airport Way has caused issues with package deliveries, emergency response, and event attendees trying to locate specific destinations. Renaming East Airport Road would help reduce this confusion and improve public safety and efficiency in the area.

The details

City staff have recommended changing the name of East Airport Road, which does not provide direct access to the Hermiston Municipal Airport, to East Veterans Avenue. The city's Airport Advisory Committee first requested the name change in 2017, but the road was under Umatilla County's jurisdiction at the time and the request was declined. Now that the road is under the city's control, the committee has renewed its request.

  • The Hermiston City Council discussed the proposal to rename East Airport Road during its Feb. 23, 2026 meeting.
  • The city's Airport Advisory Committee made the initial request to rename the road in 2017.
  • The public hearing on the proposed name change is scheduled for May 11, 2026.

The players

Hermiston City Council

The governing body of the city of Hermiston, Oregon that is considering the proposal to rename East Airport Road.

Byron Smith

Hermiston City Manager who led the discussion on the merits of changing the name of East Airport Road during the Feb. 23, 2026 city council meeting.

Joshua Lott

Engineer for Anderson Perry & Associates who provided a memo to the city stating that renaming East Airport Road would likely reduce misdirection and improve public safety and efficiency.

Rolf Leirvik

Hermiston Municipal Airport manager who provided written testimony in support of the name change, stating that having another road named 'Airport' leads to confusion for first-time visitors to the airport.

Gary Culp

Owner of Gary Culp Machine on East Airport Road who spoke against the proposal at the April 13 city council meeting and submitted a petition signed by 35 people opposing the name change.

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What they’re saying

“Having two roads with that name causes some problems. There has been a large number of packages that have been mis-delivered to the airport. When that happens, somebody has to get them to the right address. EOTEC also gets packages delivered to the wrong place.”

— Byron Smith, Hermiston City Manager

“Renaming East Airport Road would likely reduce misdirection and improve public safety and efficiency.”

— Joshua Lott, Engineer

“Many people coming to the airport are doing so for the first time. I believe the road named 'Airport' should actually go to the airport. Having another road named 'Airport' only leads to confusion.”

— Rolf Leirvik, Hermiston Municipal Airport Manager

What’s next

The Hermiston City Council will hold a public hearing on May 11, 2026 to gather feedback from residents on the proposal to rename East Airport Road to East Veterans Avenue.

The takeaway

This proposal highlights the importance of clear and unambiguous road naming conventions, especially in areas with multiple roads serving different purposes. The public hearing will allow the city to weigh the benefits of reducing confusion against the potential costs to businesses and residents of changing their addresses.