Req. #1651
I RESOLUTION NO. 30525
2 WOZEAS several times a year the City of Tacoma is presented with
3 requests for place names or name changes for buildings, streets,
4 facilities, places, or natural features within the corporate City limits
5 or owned by the City of Tacoma, and
6 1q1EREAS there has never been a formal policy in'place establishing
7 procedure and criteria for the selection of place names, and
8 MHEREAS, it appears in the best interests of the City of Tacoma to
9 establish an official City policy on place names and name changes; Nowj
io Therefore,
it BE IT RESOLVED BY TIE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TACOMA:
12 That the official City Policy on Place Names and Name Changes
13 shall be established, which policy shall be substantially in the form of
14 the document entitled Policy on Place Names and Name Changes, a true copy
15 of which is on file in the office of the City Clerk and by this reference
16 incorporated herein as though fully set forth.
17
a Adopted JUL 2. 5 1989
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Draf t
30525.,,
POLICY ON PLACE NAMES AND NAME, CHANGES
In the event that the-. City of Tacoma wishes to confer P. specific name on a
given building, street, facility, place or natural feature within the (@ity
limits or owned by the City of Tacoma, the following policy is adopted.
The same policy should also be followed in reviewing or preparing the Cit 7
of Tacoma's official comments or recommendations to State, Federal and/or
intergovernmental boards taking actions regarding geographic names, riaming
or renaming.
Policy
1. The City Council shall designate the names of city buildings, strPets,
public places, facilities and natural features by resolution. At the
7
request of the City Council and prior to an., final action by the
Council, the Landmarhs Preservation Comm-ission shadl consider a name
or the consideration of a name chan.-e for a specifir building, street,
public place, facility or natural feature at a regularly scheduled and
advertised meetings and formally adopt a recommendation to the City
Council.
Procedure
1. The Mayor, a City Council member, the City Manager or any citizen C)r
intereFted -,@roup may request the naming or renandn--r of a publJc
huil(iing, street. place, facility or natural feature. Re-que@,@ts @@houzld
be made in to the Office of the Mayor.
-ie Na -i with the (7ity Council , fill fon"arri any
T1 . -yor, in consultatioi LI t,
requests for nam, ing or name chances to the Tacoma Tandmarks
Preservat4.on Commission for review and recommendation at a re-uiar-Ly
j -1
scheduled public meeting, of the Landmarks Commission.
stions for names may be solicited from org.-anizations,
Su---
;,g e - I
individuals, and the media. All suggestions, solicited OT, not, shall
he acknowledged and recorded for consideration by the C'nmmission-
4. TF a contest or competition is to be held, the romm)ssion shal-'!
provide --ruideli.ne-s and rules for the cnintest.
5. The (70mTT1iFSiOT-1 Will malie everv effort to contacl and solicit comments@@
from surroundin.g property,, o@-:ners, resijents, Rnd affect'pd parties
before takin-@.-f action on any riamin-gy or rpnaming of a pubt.i.c. building,
street, plac-e, facility or natural feature.
6 The Commission shall provi.Ae appropriate public notice on any naming
actions in conjunction with other agenda items for regularly
scheduled Landmarks Preservation@Commission meetings. A period of@ 30
days shall be provided for any written public comment on any naming,
action and the Landmarks Preservation Commission shall provide an
opportunity for public comment on any naming action.
7. Following apublic hearing at a regular meeting and the 30 day comment
period, the Landmarks Preservation Commission shall forward all naming
or renaming actions to the City Council with a recommendation for
approval or denial. The Landmarks Preservation Commission will also
forward any historical and/or supportive information to the City
Council appropriate to justify the recommendation.
8. The City Council, upon receipt of a recommendation from the Landmarks
Preservation Commission may hold a public hearing prior to any final
action.
9. The City Council shall approve or disapprove any naming or renaming
action by resolution.
10. The City Manager, upon approval of the naming or renaming action by
the City Council, shall implement names or name changes of public
buildings, streets, places, facilities, and/or natural features. The
City Manager shall notify those who have submitted the suggestion as
well as the Metropolitan Park District (MPD) and other appropriate
offices and agencies. Upon City Council denial of a name or name
chance, the City Manager shall notify those who sponsored the name
change.
11 . The City Managger will notify the Landmarks Preservation Commission of
any approval or denial action taken.
Criteria
Recognizing that the naming or renaming of a public building, street,
place, facility or natural feature should be approached cautiously with
forethought and deliberation, the following criteria are established.
1. 'lo avoid duplication, confusing similarity or inappropriateness, the
Commission, in considering name suggestions, shall review existing
building and facility names.
2. Consideration in naming buildings and facilities shall be given to
geographical location, historical or cultural significance, and
natural or geological features.
3. Buildings or facilities may b@,- named for an individual if that
individual ha-s enhanced the quality of life within the city. Such
buildings or facilities may be named for a-deeeft-,m-@-person provided
two or more years have lapsed between the consideration for na.Tnin-a and
the time of death. Outstanding service shall be performed in one or
more of the following categories:
A. Involvement, in a leadership role in civic organizations which are
devoted to comimnity improvement.
B. Assistance to the. underprivileged, economically disBdvantaged,
physically and/or rm@@ntally handicapp-e-3,
C. Actively promoted and directed community events and ac
tivities
which have clearly added to the enrichment of the quality and
quantity of cultural life within the.community.
D. Actively promoted and implemented effective youth programs and
activities within the community for the City's young people.
E. Actively promoted and implemented effective programs and
activities within the community for the senior citizens of the
community.
F. Assumed an active leadership role in developing and implementing
programs directed to the improvement of the visual aesthetic
appearance of the community at the commercial, public or
residential level.
G. Assumed an active leadership role in developing programs and/or
facilities for collecting, promoting and remaining the many
aspects of the natural or historical heritage of the community.
H. Assumed. an active leadership role in developing programs and
facilities directed toward the improvement of community soci-al.
and health needs as well as programs directed toward humanitarian
purposes.
4. Facilities may be named for an. individual (alive or deceas@.) if that
individual has made a significant direct financial grant to the City
of Tacoma for purposes of developing a particular building or
facility.
5. Facilities mav be named after research reveals that the area around
the facility ha-s 'been commonly, -yet unofficially, named by the
residents in the area.
6. In all cases, the City Council will have the prerogative of accepting
or rejecting the proposal.
7. Portions of a facility may have another name than that of the entire
facility or features may be dedicated to or in honor of a person such
as "Tide Pool - Cecil 'Brosseau" and "Owen Beach" at Point Defiance.
B. In the development of facilities, address designation shall be used
until the formal naming of the facility. 'whenever possible, naming
shall be made prior to completion of purchase or construction of the
building or facility.
of f icially approved by the City Council, changes.
9@. once a name has been
should 'be strongly resisted,
10. Changes of names for public buildings, facilities and man-made places
such as parks should only be approved when they do not violate
historical or common usage names.
11. Street names, plats, specific sites and places and natural features
indicated on general. usage maps for fifty years or more (age criteria
applied by the National Register of Historic Places) should only be
changed under exceptional circumstances.
12. Attention should be paid to maintaining sequential, numerical and
alphabetical naming patterns when considering any street name changes
or additions.
13. Historical names placed on designated landmarks listed on the Tacoma
Register of Historic Places, the Washington State Register of Historic
Places and the National Register of Historic Places shall not be
changed.
MIKE/naming-PoI icy
CITY CLERK USE
DISTRIBUTION@
WHITE-City Cierk
Request
CANARY-Leg6l "A"
Apple-,,
PINK-Finance
GOLDENROD-Departmental REQUEST FOR ORDINANCE Ordinance
(J) 9WA111d
OR RESOWTION Resolution
Approved Council
1. Request Date: Date:
- - - - - - - - - - - - -t D_,v-,,,@_.,7P-r.9r-- nsore nsion
R.cu.sting Dprtme,7
2. Community Development/Historic Pres. Palmquist/Sullivan 5 2 2 0
3. Preparation of an Ordinance/Resolution (indicate which) is requested for the City Council meeting of Tuesday July, 25,I989
4, Summary Title: (A brief sentence, as it will appear on the Council Agenda)
Resolution adopting an official City Policy on place names and name changes.
5. Background Information: (Why is this request necessary?) Comments:
In the event that the City of Tacoma wishes to confer a specific name on a
given building, street, facility, place or natural feature within the city
limits or owned by the City of Tacoma, the attached formal policy is proposed
for adoption. Though the City of Tacoma is presented with requests for place
names or name changes several times a year, there has apparently never been
a formal policy in place establishing procedure and criteria for the selection
of place names. The proposed policy is attached.
6. List all material available as backup information for the request and indicate where filed:
Source Documents/Backup Material Location of Document
Draft Policy on Place Names and Name Changes At t ache d/ Com. D ev. / C 1 erk
7. Funding Source: (Enter amount of funding from each source)
N. A.
Fund Number& Name:
Federal $ State $ city s Other$ Total Amount
If an expenditure, is it b ted? 0 Yes [I No Where? Org Acct
Approved as to Availability of Funds
f@Appr.vVal Director of Finance Val
@11<0 87)
enrichment of the quality and 7. Portions of a facility may have another
quantity of cultural life within the name than that of the onflia fazility or
community. features may be dedicated to or in
honor of a person such as "Tide Pool-
d. Actively promoted and 'Cecil Biosseau" and "Owen Beach" at
implemented effective youth
Point Defiance.
programs and activities within the
community to the City's young 8. In the development of facilities, address
people. designation shall be used until the
formal naming of the facility. Whenever
e. Actively promoted and possible, naming shall be made prior to
implemented effective programs completion of purchase or construction
and activities within the of the building or facility.
community for the senior citizens
of the community. 9. Once a name has been officially
f. Assumed an active leadership role approved by the City Council, changes
in developing and Implementing should be strongly resisted.
programs directed to the 10. Changes of names for public buildings,
Improvement of the visual facilities and man-made places such
aesthetic appearance of the as parks should only be approved when
community at the commercial, they do not violate historical or
public or residential level. common usage names.
g. Assumed an active leadership role 11. Street names, plats, specific sites and
in developing programs and/or places and natural features indicated
facilities for collecting, promoting on general usage maps for fifty years or
and retaining the many aspects of more (age criteria applied by the
the natural or historical heritage of National Register of Historic Places)
the community. should only be changed under
h. Assumed an active leadership role exceptional circumstances.
in developing programs and 12. Attention should be paid to
facilities directed toward the maintaining sequential, numerical and
improvement of community social alphabetical naming patterns when
and health needs as well as considering any street name changes
programs directed toward or additions.
humanitarian purposes. i3. Historical names placed on designated
4. Facilities may be named for an landmarks listed on the Tacoma
individual (alive or deceased) if that Register of Historic Places, the
individual has made a significant direct Washington State Register of Historic
financial grant to the City of Tacoma Places and the National Register of
for purposes of developing a particular Historic Places shall not be changed.
building or facility.
5. Facilities may be named after research
reveals that the area around the facility
has been commonly, yet unofficially,
named by the residents in the area.
abo Adopted by City Council
6. In all cases, the City Council will have d _qkVM July 25, 1989
the prerogative of accepting or
rejecting the proposal. Resolution No. 30525'
CD 06i (08/89)
In the event that the City of Tacoma wishes 4-: If a coNestor competition is to be held, appropriate offices and agencies, Upon
toconforaspecificnameo,,i.agive!-, the Com mission shall provide City Council denial of a name cr-nume
building, street, facility, place or natural guidelines and rules for the contest. change, the City Manager shall rioi,ify
feature within the City limits or owned by the those who sponsored the name
CH 5. The Commission will make every effort
y of Tacoma, the following policy is to contact the solicit comments from change.
adoptled. The same policy should also be
followed in reviewing or preparing the City of surrounding property owners, residents, 11. The City Manager will notify the
Tacoma-s official comments or and affected parties before taking Landmarks Preservation Commission of
action on any naming or renaming of a any approval or denial action taken.
recommendations to State, Federal and/or public building, street, place, facility or
Intergovernmental boards taking actions natural feature.
regarding geographic names, naming or
renaming. 6. The Commission shall provide
appropriate public notice on any Recognizing that the naming of a public
naming actions In conjunction with building, street, place, facility or natural
feature should be approached cautiously
other agenda Items for regularly with forethought and deliberation, the
1 . The City Council shall designate the scheduled Landmarks Preservation following criteria are established.
names of city buildings. streets, public Commission meetings. A period of 30
places, facilities and natural features by days shall be provided for any written I . To avoid duplication, confusing
resolution. At the request of the City public comment on any naming action similarity or Inappropriateness, the
Council and prior to any final action by and the Landmarks Preservation Commission, in considering name
the Council, the Landmarks Commission shall provide an suggestions, shall review existing
Preservation Commission shall consider opportunity for public comment on any building and facility names.
a name or the consideration of a name naming action. 2. Consideration In naming buildings and
change for a specific building, street, 7. Following a public hearing at a regular facilities shall be given to geographical
public place, facility or natural feature meeting and the 30 day comment location, historical or cultural
at a regularly scheduled and period, the Landmarks Preservation significance, and natural or geological
advertised meeting and formally adopt Commission shall forward all naming or features.
a recommendation to the City Council. renaming actions to the City Council
with a recommendation for approval or 3. Buildings or facilities may be named for
denial. The Landmarks Preservation an Individual if that Individual has
Commission will also forward any enhanced the quality of life within the
.1 .The Mayor, a City Council member, the historical and/or supportive Information city. Such buildings or facilities may be
City Manager or any citizen or to the City Council appropriate to Justify named for a person provided two or
Interested group may request the the recommendation. more years have lapsed between the
naming or renaming of a public consideration for naming and the time
building, street, place, facility or natural 8. The City Council, upon receipt of a of death. Outstanding service shall be
feature. Requests should be made In recommendation from the Landmarks performed in one or more of the
writing to the Office of the MaYOL Preservation Commission may hold a following categories:
2. The Mayor, in consultation with the City public hearing prior to any final action. a. Involvement in a leadership role in
Council, will forward any requests for 9. The City Council shall approve or civic organizations which are
naming or name changes to the disapprove any naming or renaming devoted to community
Tacoma Landmarks Preservation action by resolution. Improvement.
Commission for review and 10. The City Manager, upon approval of b, Assistance to the underprivileged, -
recommendation at a regularly
scheduled public meeting of the the naming or renaming action by the economically disadvantaged,
City Council, shall implement names or physically and/or mentally
Landmarks Commission.
I name changes of public buildings, handicapped.
3., Suggestions for names may be solicited streets, places, facilities, and/or natural c. Actively promoted and direct ed
from organizations, Individuals, and the features. The City Manager shall notify community events and activities
media. All suggestions, solicited or not, those who have submitted the which have clearly added to the
shall be acknowledged and recorded suggestion as well as the Metropolitan
for consideration by the Commission. Park District (MPD) and other