CITY COUNCILPOLICIES
POLICY NAME: City AssetNamingandRenaming POLICY NUMBER: 470-01 Effective Date: 09/09/2025 Last RevisedDate: N/A Status: Active Page: 1 of 6 I. BACKGROUND
The naming of City assets—including parks, facilities, buildings, and other public spaces—carries significantmeaningfor theChulaVistacommunity. NamesreflecttheCity’s history, culture, geography, andidentity, while alsoshapinghow residentsandvisitors connectwith public spaces. The processof namingor renamingassetsshouldthereforebeguidedby principlesof consistency, fairness, transparency, andcommunityengagement.
II. PURPOSE
To establisha policy creatinga processanduniform guidelinesfor Namingor Renamingof City Assets including, butnotlimitedto, City parks, recreationalfacilities, andothermunicipalbuildings. Thisprocess is meantto ensuretransparency, allow for public participation, andpreservetheintegrity andlegacyof City Assets.
ThisPolicyoutlinescriteria, conditions, andproceduresthatgovernNamingandRenamingof City Assets in orderto:
Maintaintheirintegrity andfuturerelevance;
Encouragephilanthropicgiving while acknowledgingpublicinvestments; Safeguardagainstunwantedcommercializationof City Assets; and Ensurebroadcommunityacceptance.
This Policydoesnot applyto:
StreetNames (SeeChulaVistaMunicipalCodeChapter12.44).
III. DEFINITIONS
City Assets: Tangibleor intangibleitemsof valuethatareownedor createdby theCity, includingbutnot limited to City Facilities.
City Facilities: Any partof realpropertyor structureownedby theCity or for which Namingrightsare conferredby agreement, including, butnotlimited to parks, libraries, recreationalfacilitiesandbuildings, parkingfacilities, interior or ancillaryfeaturesthatareapartof, or within, a largerfacility andotherCity facilities.
CITY COUNCILPOLICIES
POLICY NAME: City AssetNamingandRenaming POLICY NUMBER: 470-01 Effective Date: 09/09/2025 Last RevisedDate: N/A Status: Active Page: 2 of 6 Commission: Any boardor commissionasrecognizedby the City of ChulaVista City Council and/or City Charter.
DepartmentDirector: Appointeddirector of the departmentthat overseesthe City Asseteligible for Naming, Renaming, or monumentinstallation. The director may assignthis responsibility to other departmentstaff within theirdelegationof authority.
Donationor gift: A monetary (cash) contribution, endowments, personalproperty, realproperty, financial securities, equipment, in-kind goodsor services, or anyotherCity AssetthattheCity hasacceptedandfor whichtheDonorhasnotreceivedanygoodsor servicesin return. Forpurposesof thisCouncilPolicy, the terms “donation” and “gift” shallbesynonymous.
Donor: A personor otherlegalentitythatproposesor providesaDonationto theCity.
Funding: Financialor in-kind resourcesto providefundingthatmight resultin Namingor Renaming.
Funding Source: Thesourceof Fundingwhichcanincludeindividuals, nonprofitorganizations, andfor- profit entities.
Naming: Theselectionandapprovalby theCity for the initial Namingof a City Assetotherthanthose excludedfrom this policy.
Renaming: Theselectionandapprovalby theCity of a newnamefor anexistingCity Assetotherthan thoseexcludedfrom this policy.
IV. GUIDELINES
TheNamingor Renamingof City Assetsarepursuantto thefollowing guidelinesin orderof preference:
1. Geographic Location. Wheneverpossible, all City Assetswill be consideredfor their geographic location. Creatingnamesbasedon the asset’s geographiclocation shouldbe consideredfirst. The geographiclocationmaybebasedon therelationshipof theassetto a specificplace, neighborhood, majorstreet, regionalareaof theCity or theCity’s nameif theassetservestheentirecommunity.
2. Other Considerations. Considerationof namesmay alsoincludea prominentform of topography, prominentflora, namesthatstrengthenneighborhoodor city identity, andculturalor historical 3 CITY COUNCILPOLICIES
POLICY NAME: City AssetNamingandRenaming POLICY NUMBER: 470-01 Effective Date: 09/09/2025 Last RevisedDate: N/A Status: Active Page: 3 of 6 precedent.
3. Extraordinary Circumstances. Only underextraordinarycircumstancesandwith broadpublic supportwill theCity considerNamingor RenamingaCity Assetafterapersonor group. Eligible namesmustmeetall of thefollowing criteria:
a. Theperson, group, or organizationmadelastingandsignificantcontributionsto theprotectionof naturalor culturalresourcesof theCity of ChulaVista;
b. Theperson, group, or organizationhada significantpositiveimpacton thelives of ChulaVista’s residents;
c. Theperson, group, or organizationofferedsignificantvolunteerismor serviceto thecommunity; d. The Naming of the person, group, or organization does not result in the excessive commercializationof theCity Asset;
e. Therelationshipof thepersonor groupto theCity Assetmustbedemonstratedthroughresearch anddocumentation;
f. Extraordinarycircumstancesshallbedemonstratedby broadanddocumentedpublicsupportand by clearevidencethattheproposednamesubstantiallyadvancestheCity’s interestin preserving history, culture, or civic identity.
4. Major Donations. Namingor RenamingmayacknowledgeaFundingSourcewhenthedonorhas providedaboveandbeyondlegalrequirements:
a. A significantcontributiontowardthecapitalconstructioncostsof theCity Asset; b. A deedto theCity of landfor themajority of theCity Assetby theDonor; and/or c. A twenty-yearendowmentor alternativeperpetualfundingsourcefor thecontinuedmaintenance andoperationsof theCity Asset.
5. Neutral and Unique Names. Proposednamesshouldbe neutral (avoiding political, religious, or commercialaffiliations unlesshistorically relevant) andmustnot duplicateor closelyresemblethe nameof anotherpark, facility, or landmarkin ChulaVistain orderto avoidpotentialconfusionof the public andpublic safety.
V. PROCEDURES
NominationProcess
1. Submittals and Recommendations.
Proposalsmaybesubmittedby City departmentdirectorsor communitymembers.
CITY COUNCILPOLICIES
POLICY NAME: City AssetNamingandRenaming POLICY NUMBER: 470-01 Effective Date: 09/09/2025 Last RevisedDate: N/A Status: Active Page: 4 of 6 Recommendationsmaybesubmittedby commissionsor taskforces.
All proposalsor recommendationsshall be directedto the City Manager, or designeewithin the City Manager’s office, who shallreferthemto theappropriatedepartment(s) for review.
2. Interior or Ancillary Features.
For interior or ancillaryfeatureswithin a largerCity Facility (suchasbut not limited to meeting rooms, classrooms, gyms, fitnessrooms, or sportscourts), the City Manager, or designeewithin the City Manager’s office, may approve names administratively when they are basedon geographiclocation, topography, flora, cultural/historicalprecedent, or otherneutralandunique considerationsconsistentwith this Policy.
Any Naming or Renaming under Extraordinary Circumstances, including naming after individuals, groups, or organizations, shallrequirefull reviewandapprovalby theCity Council.
3. ProposalRequirements. Writtenproposalsmustinclude:
Theproposedname;
Thelocationof theCity Asset;
Requestor’s contactinformation;
Reasonsfor theproposedname, includinghow it meetsthis Policy’s criteria; Evidenceof broad community support (e.g., 100 residentsignatures; endorsementsfrom a recognizedcommunityorganization; or comparableevidenceof substantialinterest); and For Renamingrequests, justificationfor changinganestablishedname.
4. Limitations.
Proposalsmayonly besubmittedonceperCity Assetwithin any12-monthperiod.
Duplicateor substantiallysimilarrequestswill notbeconsideredduringafive-yearperiod.
Incompleteor unsupportedproposalsshallnot advancefor review.
ReviewProcess
TheCity Manageror designee, at anytime of theprocess, may:
RejectNamingor Renamingproposalsor removeexistingNamingthatis harmful, controversial, cost- prohibitive, or inconsistentwith this Policy;
Reservetheright to renameanyCity Assetof theassociatedresident, organization, or donorbecomes disreputableor otherwisefails to supporttheguidelinessetforth in this Policy.
CITY COUNCILPOLICIES
POLICY NAME: City AssetNamingandRenaming POLICY NUMBER: 470-01 Effective Date: 09/09/2025 Last RevisedDate: N/A Status: Active Page: 5 of 6 Uponreceipt, theDepartmentDirectorshall:
1. Review the California Historic ResourcesInventory Database (CHRID) and City of Chula Vista Registryto determineif theCity Assetis a DesignatedHistoricalResourceswith anassignedhistoric name;
2. Authenticatesupportinginformation;
3. Ensurecompliancewith this Policy;
4. Considertheimpactof theNamingor Renamingon thecommunity;
5. Providethe proposalto any otherCity staff, whenappropriate, to review andprovideinput on the proposalfor Namingor Renaming; and
6. Considerthecostof implementationandsignageandensurethatadequatefundinghasbeenidentified beforeimplementationproceeds.
TheDepartmentDirector will submitthe proposalto the City Attorney’s Office for legal reviewof the proposal, including but not limited to ownership rights, policy consistency, and compliancewith applicablelaws.
The designatedCity Departmentshall preparea recommendationfor action by the City Council. The recommendationshall includeno morethanthree (3) namesfor the assetthat the Departmentdeemed mostappropriateunderthis Policy andthereasonfor theselections.
If a Namingor Renamingrequestis for a library or park, theCity Councilshallagendizetherequestfor public considerationto hearthenecessityor desirabilityof namingthelibrary or park, andtheproposed nameandanyalternatives.
TheCity Councilwill reviewtherecommendationsandtakeaction. TheCity Council’sselectionis final.
Non-selectednamescanberesubmittedfor considerationin subsequentyears.
Oncea namehasbeenapproved, it shall not be reconsideredunlessextraordinarycircumstancesexist e.g., public safetyconcerns, reputationalharmto the City, or othersubstantialimpactsto community trust). No proposalfor RenamingaCity Assetshallbeacceptedfor ten (10) yearsafterapproval, except
CITY COUNCILPOLICIES
POLICY NAME: City AssetNamingandRenaming POLICY NUMBER: 470-01 Effective Date: 09/09/2025 Last RevisedDate: N/A Status: Active Page: 6 of 6 undersuchextraordinarycircumstances.
Signage
TheCity retainseditorialcontroloverall relatedsignage, subjectto theSignOrdinance. On-siteNaming recognitionshall:
Not interferewith visitor useor operations;
Beappropriatelyscaledanddesigned;
Not dominateor detractfrom surroundingsor interpretivemessages; and Besubjectto approvalby thereviewingCity Manageror theirdesignee.
HISTORY
DATE ACTION RESOLUTION NO.
09/09/2025 Adoption 2025-155