Mayor of Dededo Melissa B. Savares and the village’s Municipal Planning Council addressed ongoing issues related to unnamed or unofficially named streets, as well as rezoning requests in the island’s largest village at its public meeting on Nov. 20.
The efforts aim to improve services such as home deliveries, house numbering, utility applications, and property documentation for homeowners in Dededo.
Dededo resident Romeo Hernandez requested that his street be renamed after his ancestors. Photos by Pauly Suba
Savares said there are complexities in naming streets in new subdivisions, which often involve overlaying maps and coordinating with the Guam Department of Public Works.
Savares“To build houses, you still need to get a permit,” she said. Subdivisions like cul-de-sacs require naming resolutions submitted to DPW to ensure house numbering aligns with building permits and official records.
It’s been an ongoing discussion with homeowners to decide what names to give to DPW. Most of the streets are on CLTC lands and Savares waited until families came to a consensus. After discussions with the residents, they added the requests to the latest meeting.
One case involved the Hernandez family, who requested naming two streets in southern Ukudu after their ancestors. Romeo Hernandez, representing the family, said, “Our ancestral lands in northern Ukudu belong to the Hernandez family. We’re asking the council to consider naming two unnamed streets after our great-grandfather.” The proposed names, Chalan Josen’ Nandez and Chalan Juan Nandez, are near Guam Regional Medical City and Okkodo High School.
The council also addressed discrepancies in existing street names and approved several naming and street ratification requests. Among the approved requests was renaming a portion of a street currently known as Urunao Road, to “Chalan Pascual Saez Artero,” ending in a cul-de-sac. In the Sagan Linahyan area, a street near Chalan Hilitai was renamed to “Biradan Guriyos,” located across from Chalan Guriyos.
Two streets in in the Mogfog and Macheche area of Dededo were renamed to “Kayen Tun Juan” and “Kayen Tata’ Luis,” replacing their informal designation as Chalan Chicha. Additionally, a cul-de-sac off Chalan Familian Munoz was named “Flores Para Eso St.”
The council also ratified several street names along Chalan Koda, including Lucky Street, Chalan Encio, Cactus Lane, Jalorian Street, Visayas Street, Biradan Bali Tres, Borja Street, and Chalan Espinosa. Another street off Gotbu Drive was named “Kayen Te’ta” at the request of the Taimanglo family.
A street near Chalan Hilitai is waiting to be named “Biradan Guriyos” by DPW.
The approved resolutions will be submitted to DPW and the Bureau of Statistics and Plans.
Rezoning requests were another focal point, reflecting Dededo’s growing housing needs.
An 85-year-old resident, Ricardo Ang, sought a zoning change for his property to reduce utility costs and bring the property into compliance. Ang, who lives with his wife, said, “My wife is handicapped; we have four tenants living at our residence, all different nationalities — CHamoru, Filipino, Pohnpei, and [Chuukese]. My plan is to request R1 to R2 rezoning so I can apply for separate meters for GPA and GWA. It’s hard for us as senior citizens... because we have been charged by GPA and GWA so much money for the power and water.”
Ang is requesting to convert his single-family dwelling zone to a multi-family use on his property with the existing rental units.
Savares said, “They just want to place the residents with five units in zoning compliance by rezoning to R2 so they can allow separate utility meters and maintain the infrastructure. The property would be then connected to public sewer.” Ang said he would be applying for government assistance to offset the cost to pay for the swage hookup.
An unofficial sign on a road in Dededo off of Chalan Koda awaiting ratification.
Another rezoning application on Wusstig Road proposed converting raw land to an R2 designation for a 20-unit apartment complex. Savares stressed the importance of agency approvals, particularly near the aquifer. “We also want to make sure there’s enough parking for the tenants. If they start spilling their parking into the government easement, it becomes a traffic safety issue,” she said.
Public input remains a crucial part of the process. Savares said. “If someone objects, we have a discussion. It’s part of the democratic process, and we ensure the chosen names respect the area’s history and families.”
The council approved most street naming requests and tabled a few pending clarifications from absent residents. Savares highlighted that the council resolutions will streamline services. “Once the resolutions are finalized, the updates will make it easier for residents to access essential services like mail delivery and utility applications. Resolutions will be sent to DPW and the Bureau of Statistics and Plans, with updates appearing on mapping platforms within a month,” she said. mbj
