Fairfax set to change name of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard

FAIRFAX, Calif. (KGO) -- Fairfax is a Marin town that is roughly 90% white and, as of the first week of March, 100% polarized.

All of this tension is emerging because of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, a major road which winds 40 miles from San Francisco Bay through the coastal North Bay hills.

This week, the Fairfax Town Council voted for a name change to address Drake's problematic legacy.

RELATED: Sir Francis Drake statue removed in Marin County

Sir Francis Drake being the first white man to land on nearby shore carries less weight here than his past as a slave trader and his detrimental impact on local Native Americans.

The council wants to call the road the Coastal Miwok Trail, at least within the borders of Fairfax.

Vice-Mayor Stephanie Hellman sees the Town Council as having made a moral decision.

"There are some things in the name of progress that just have to be done," Hellman says.

Fairfax locals have begun signing an initiative against the name change.

"If they want to change the name, let's vote for it," suggested Fred Codoni.

RELATED: Name change underway at San Anselmo's Sir Francis Drake High School, district says

Marin County's Board of Supervisors will consider the issue on Tuesday.