City Council
July 22, 2025
Jason Nutt
Assistant City Manager
1 City Asset Naming and
Renaming Policy
Purpose Statement
The purpose of this policy is to establish uniform guidelines for naming and renaming of City of Santa Rosa (City) Assets.
This policy is crafted to ensure that naming and renaming of City Assets reflect the City’s historic and cultural values including diversity, equity and inclusion for all community members and visitors. City Asset names should primarily honor places, history, persons, organizations, events and the natural environment with a focus on local significance and may also reflect California or national names when
appropriate. Naming City Assets are intended to be
intentional, forward thinking and transcend time and
should be approached in a thoughtful and consistent
manner.
2 BACKGROUND
• Council and staff have received multiple requests to
rename streets, parks and building facilities in addition to incorporating memorials over the past five years.
• There are no policies or guideline relating to City Asset naming or renaming other that the following:
• New streets are named concurrent with the
entitlement process through an administrative review
evaluating conformance with the Street Design and
Construction Standards.
• Policy 000-25 titled “Park Naming Policy and
Procedure” 3
BACKGROUND
Policy 000-25 titled “Park Naming Policy and Procedure” • City Council adopted on November 14, 1989
• Amended on December 6, 1994, December 23, 1997,
and May 16, 2000.
• Created a methodology and process for selecting names for unnamed City parks and recreation facilities.
• Included limited language but no defined methodology
associated with changing a park or recreation facility
name.
• Parks initiated a revision in 2020 associated with the Creekside Open Space name change to Mary Traverso
Open Space.
4 ANALYSIS
Department Feedback
• Planning and Economic Development
• Existing process for naming new streets.
• Addition of a process for Naming Rights.
• Recreation and Parks
• Addressing requests for incorporating names on assets as memorials.
• Addition of a process for Themed Assets.
• Incorporating priority-oriented language.
• City Attorney
• Include process to remove a name.
5 ANALYSIS
The policy Includes the following Sections:
1. Policy
2. Definitions
3. Policy
1. General Naming Criteria
2. General Naming Provisions
4. Responsibility of Boards and Commissions
5. Process for Naming New, Unnamed or Renaming Existing City Assets
6. Process for Naming New City Streets
7. Ceremonial Street Naming
8. Memorial Recognitions
9. Removal of a Name 6
2. Definitions
1. City Assets - City owned City Facilities, Recreation Facilities, streets, Parks and buildings.
2. City Facility - Any part of real property or structure owned by the City or for which naming rights are conferred by agreement, including, but not limited to, parks, libraries, Recreational Facilities buildings, parking facilities, interior or ancillary features that are a part of, or within, a larger facility and other City facilities.
3. Ceremonial - A non-official expression honoring an individual, philanthropic organization, significant event or landmark.
10.Memorials - All markers, plaques, signs and other physical objects used to memorialize a deceased individual.
7 2. Definitions (cont.)
13.Parks - Any City owned land used for active or passive recreation, including, but not limited to, neighborhood parks, community parks, open space areas, trails and plazas.
14.Recreational Facility - Major structures such as community centers, aquatic facilities, picnic shelters/pavilions, sports courts, entertainment attractions, athletic fields, community clubhouses and special use facilities.
8 3.1 General Naming Criteria
1. Location - Assist the public in identifying its location.
2. Significant Events, People and Places - History of a major event, place, person(s) or groups may play an important role to preserve and honor a community’s history, landmarks, or prominent geographical features.
3. Outstanding Individuals - Acknowledging individuals who have made substantial contributions to benefit the City, local community, park and recreation system, or public library.
4. Major Donations - Generous financial or land donations by residents, organizations, and businesses.
5. Themed Assets - To reflect the function, operation, image or identification of a specific theme.
6. Naming Rights – Ability to provide naming rights of a City Asset. 9 3.2 General Naming Provisions
1. Engender a strong positive image consistent with the City’s goals and values and intentionally honor the diverse representation of people in our community.
2. Be appropriate relative to the City Asset’s location and/or history.
3. Incorporate the assigned historic name if the City Asset is a designated historical resource listed as a Santa Rosa local landmark, or on the State Register of Historic Resources, or National Register of Historic Places.
4. Have historical, cultural, or social significance to Santa Rosa or Sonoma County for the benefit of both current and future generations.
5. Commemorate places, people, or events that are of continued importance to the community, City of Santa Rosa, State of California and/or United States of America.
6. Have symbolic value that transcends and enhances the character and identity of the City Asset.
7. Have broad public support.
8. Not result in the excessive commercialization of the City Asset. 10 4. Board and Commissions
1. Design Review and Preservation Board: Building and facilities of historical significance.
2. Board of Public Utilities: Facilities acquired, operated and maintained by the Santa Rosa Water Department
3. Board of Parks & Recreation: Recreation Facilities
4. Community Advisory Board: Ceremonial street designations
5. Sonoma County Library: Libraries
11 5. Process
1. Application
1. Justification, support letters and documentation
2. Petition
1. Greater than 50% of all registered property owners fronting the street and adjacent intersections within the street segment included on a street naming, renaming or ceremonial naming application.
2. At least 1,000 Santa Rosa resident signatories (electronic petitions accepted) for non-street City Asset naming or renaming. At least 50% of the signatories must live within a half mile of the City Asset. Efforts should be made to involve a diverse group of stakeholders in the community, including residents who are historically underrepresented in City public discussions.
12 5. Process (cont.)
2. Review & Approval - City Manager prior to Board or Commission.
1. Step 1 - Initial presentation on the City Asset and confirm naming criteria
2. Step 2 – Board/Commission Meeting #2: Review a list of names that meet the criteria
3. Step 3 - Board/Commission Meeting #3: Final name choice to recommend to City Council
4. Step 4 - City Council Meeting #1
5. Step 5 - City Council Meeting #2
3. Public Outreach – Opportunities for public input should be broadly marketed in consultation with staff and as requested or recommended by the Board/Commission or Council.
4. Costs – Development and implementation costs shall be borne by the application proponent.
13 7. Ceremonial Street Naming
To commemorate the service, lives and achievements of
individuals, philanthropic groups of individuals or a landmark event.
1. Candidate Criteria
• An individual, philanthropic organization, significant event or landmark
• 10 years of community involvement
• Demonstrated extraordinary, consistent and voluntary
commitment to the community
• Contributed significantly to the City
2. Provisions
1. Must apply to the entire block(s) and/or intersections
2. May only be initiated by:
1. Resident or property owner abutting impacted street
2. Neighborhood or community group
3. Current Councilmember
14 7. Ceremonial Street Naming (cont.)
3. Process
1. City Asset Naming/Renaming
Request Application
2. City Manager review and
forwarded to Council
3. Protests must be signed by
>20% of impacted residents or
owners
4. Council approved applications
1. Applicant pays for signs and
installation
2. Councilmember fee waiver
3. Council resolution
4. 10-year timeline
15 8. Memorials Recognitions
• The City has specifically designated City Assets that are identified and function as official memorials.
• Markers, plaques, signs and other physical objects used solely for the purpose of memorializing the life of an
individual not officially approved by the City Council shall not be allowed at, on or adjacent to any City Asset within publicly owned property.
• The City Manager or City Council may authorize submittal of an application for the creation of a designated memorial based on the criteria in Section 3.
• Memorial applications will be evaluated by Council. 16
9. Removal Of A Name
1. If at any time following the approval of a name or renaming of a City Asset or memorial, circumstances change
substantially so that the continued existence of the naming of the City Asset may reflect poorly on the City, the City Council reserves the right to remove the name.
2. The City Manager to convene an ad hoc committee.
3. Name removal circumstances:
1. Egregious action by the individual or group
2. New understanding of historical event
4. Council retains final approval
17 RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended by the City Manager’s
Office that the Council, by Resolution, adopt
Council Policy Number 000-XXX titled, “City
Asset Naming and Renaming Policy” and
rescind Council Policy 000-25 titled, “Park
Naming Policy and Procedure”.
18