CITY OF SAN MATEO
RESOLUTION NO. ____ 2025
APPROVING A POLICY FOR THE CEREMONIAL NAMING OF STREETS WHEREAS, the San Mateo City Council desires to recognize individuals that are of particular importance to the City of San Mateo or have made significant contributions to improving the quality of life in the City by ceremonially naming sections of public streets in their honor; and WHEREAS, currently, there is no formal policy addressing guidelines for the content or placement of ceremonial street signs; and
WHEREAS, a policy is needed to ensure consistency, proper neighborhood outreach, traffic safety, and appropriate sign content; and
WHEREAS, this Resolution authorizes the City Council to confer ceremonial names on public streets and allow for the installation of appropriate signage, which shall be distinct from, and not change or replace, existing legal street names and signs.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN MATEO, CALIFORNIA, HEREBY FINDS and RESOLVES that:
1. This Resolution is categorically exempt from CEQA as an “existing facility,” because it consists of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of use. (CEQA Guidelines Section 15301.)
2. Candidates for ceremonial street names must exhibit a minimum of 10 years of community involvement or demonstrated an extraordinary, consistent and voluntary commitment to the community, or have had contributed significantly to the City of San Mateo.
Ceremonial street names shall be in the form of a “Sign Topper,” which is a sheet metal sign that is placed on top of the standard City street sign identification and shall adhere to the following specifications:
a. Ceremonial street names will not change or replace existing legal street names and signs. b. Ceremonial street names should generally be placed on streets of civic and community significance.
c. Only entire blocks of public streets may be granted ceremonial street names. d. Staff will identify streets with a limited number of blocks, and each street sign on each block will receive a Street Topper.
e. Ceremonial street names must be the name of an individual. f. A ceremonial street naming application may only be initiated by two current City Councilmembers.
g. A ceremonial street Sign Topper must include the word “Honorary”, and be a brown sign with white lettering.
h. Only one ceremonial Sign Topper may be placed on a single street block. i. Only one Sign Topper may be placed on any pole.
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7 j. Sign Toppers shall not be attached to traffic signal mast arms or traffic signal poles. k. Ceremonial names shall not duplicate any currently existing official street names. l. No individual may receive City Council approval for a Sign Topper recognition on more than one street or intersection.
m. Only one Ceremonial Street Sign Topper may be approved by City Council per fiscal year, however exceptions in some years can be made as circumstances warrant based on City Council direction.
n. Staff will send out notices to all residential and commercial addresses on the street or block in which the Ceremonial Street Sign Topper is added. o. The ceremonial street name will expire in ten years, but the Council may choose to keep the topper for a longer or indefinite period.