The future short street will run north to south along what will be 1400 West and provide access from West Valley City's Cultural Celebration Center to a point where 3500 South blends into 3300 South.

"It's a done deal," said Mayor Dennis Nordfelt. "We instructed the staff to put her name on all the plans."

Late on Monday, Nordfelt talked with Jeanetta Williams, president of Utah's chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Williams, a West Valley City resident, suggested a city street be named after Rosa Parks.

"I told Jeanetta my best ideas always come from somebody else," Nordfelt said. "I apologized that she had to think of it first, but told her I'd run with it."

Meanwhile, also Tuesday night in West Jordan, its City Council voted 5-2 to form a committee to develop a process for renaming streets. The council's plan is to honor Parks by renaming an existing street as soon as possible.

But at West Valley City's council work session, Nordfelt floated Williams' idea and council members responded with enthusiastic, unanimous support.

"We all thought she was a wonderful person and felt it was a great idea," said Councilwoman Margaret Peterson.

On Dec. 1, half a century ago, Rosa Parks, a black seamstress in Montgomery, Ala., defied a local ordinance by refusing to relinquish her bus seat to a white passenger. Her singular act got her arrested and inspired others, giving birth to the civil rights movement.

The decision drew the praise of a Salt Lake City resident who works in West Valley City.

"I grew up in North Carolina and heard about Rosa Parks and what she went through," said Bob Stevens. "For them [West Valley City] to have the care to recognize her is an honor to me," said the 67-year-old who moved to Utah about 30 years ago - at a time when black men were not allowed to hold the priesthood in the Mormon church. That changed in 1978.

Williams applauded Nordfelt for his quick action.

"There was no hesitation whatsoever," she said. "What a marvelous way to say 'thank you' to the mother of civil rights for all she's done for the country."

Williams hopes other Utah cities will follow suit, and is eager to help wherever she can.

Close to 30 percent of West Valley City's population consists of minorities; just over 1 percent is black.

"What Rosa Parks did for civil rights helps everybody," Williams said.

"It's significant that West Valley City took the lead on this because of its large diverse community. Regardless of the diversity, we're in this whole state together."

The new street, with a price tag of $1 million, is slated for construction in 2009. But Nordfelt and Williams are hopeful the asphalt memorial to Rosa Parks - she died in late October at the age of 92 - can be ready for traffic much sooner.

cmckitrick@sltrib.com