1 CITY OF ORANGE
POLICY FOR NAMING OF NEW CITY PARKS
(DRAFT)
I. PURPOSE
To establish a policy regarding the naming of New City Parks of which the City Council has final approval. This policy also establishes a procedure for collecting public input regarding the naming of a new City park when directed to do so by the City Council.
II. NAMING OF PARKS
A. Criteria
1. In General
In selecting names for new City parks, the recommending body shall give primary consideration to names that bear a relationship to the geography, topography, history, adjacent street, school or neighborhood of the area in which it is located.
Every effort should be made to avoid names that are redundant of other public facilities, names that are similar in sound or spelling to other public facilities and names that may otherwise cause confusion.
2. Names in Honor of Individuals
Keeping in mind that the City has limited parks and numerous individuals who have made a significant contribution to our community, the naming of a park in honor of an individual is discouraged, especially if the individual is still living. However, it may be recommended that the City Council approve the naming of a new park in honor of an individual if they have no other park or facility named for them and the following factors occur:
There was a direct substantial financial contribution of that person to the development of the park;
There was a substantial contribution of that person to the development of facilities and recreation programs on a City-wide basis, financial or otherwise; There was a substantial contribution by the person to the Community of Orange in general, financial or otherwise.
2 3. Name Changes
Changes to names of existing parks, especially those that have received prior City Council approval, are discouraged because of the confusion it may create and the historical and familiarity value in keeping the same name, especially in the case of parks. Name changes should only be considered in extraordinary cases.
B. Procedure
This procedure provides a guideline for collecting public input regarding park naming for new City parks when directed to do so by the City Council. It is realized that the responsibility for park naming is at the discretion of the City Council.
1. Public Input:
The Department will notice the community of a park naming opportunity via website, social media, QR code in park kiosks, and email. This notice will include park specifications with an invitation to provide submissions for the park’s official name per a given timeline through the City’s website, social media, email, and/or public comment.
Submissions should include the proposer’s contact information and must state the reasons why the name furthers one or more of the listed criteria. From these submissions, staff will compile a list of names that meet at least one of the listed criteria.
Anyone may provide a submission for the naming of a new City park, including, but not limited to the City Council or any former member of the City Council.
2. Name Consideration:
Submitted names shall be reviewed at a public meeting. Upon receipt of community input and upon due consideration, the Department will recommend up to three potential names per new City park naming opportunity to the City Council for final approval.
If needed, family members of any potential namesakes will be contacted, if available, by staff prior to final recommendation to City Council to ensure their support of the recommendation.
3. City Council Consideration
3 Notice of the City Council’s consideration of the name recommendations shall be agendized and may be reviewed by the City Council at a formal meeting. The naming of a new City park after a person currently seated as a City Council member, Commissioner, or City employee or has held such a position in the past five years, shall not be considered.