Red Bluff to add policy to name alleys, public facilities
RED BLUFF — The City Council Tuesday night moved forward on a policy that allows the public to submit suggestions for naming streets, alleys and other public facilities.
Jessica Casas reached out to the city a few months ago, inquiring how alleys are named. She comes from one of Red Bluff’s five original Chinese families and wants to name the alley between Main and Rio streets and between Walnut and Hickory streets Historic Chinatown.
The city’s staff did some research and found municipal code allows for the placement of monuments but not for naming alleys, public places, buildings or roadway renaming. Casas provided staff with Eureka’s policy and procedures for renaming.
Going off Eureka’s example, staff created a similar policy under which anyone interested in naming a feature would have to submit a written application to the planning commission for consideration. The planning commission’s recommendations would be forwarded to the City Council for final action in almost all circumstances.
Some critical provisions with potential name changes include having a name that serves to identify the location of a subject by reference to distinct geographic, environmental or developmental features in the immediate area, references the history of the subject site or honors a person or family who made a significant contribution to the well being of the city.
Councilwoman Johnna Jones asked if the application fee would cover any new signs or identifiers for the changes.
Community Development Director Tom Westbrook said the ordinance the council was considering, which adds the naming policy, covers the staff time to process a person’s application.
“New streets are generally named when we file a final map after a subdivision is created,” Westbrook said. “That is when the streets are named. Those are all taken care of. I do not envision a circumstance where somebody would want to actually change an actual street.”
Rob Schmidt expressed concern that a bunch of people could band together to change Washington Street to “Rainbow Street.”
Westbrook said both the planning commission and council have the power to deny anyone’s request.
The council unanimously approved introducing and waiving the first reading of the ordinance.