Fayetteville TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Denise Brookins, Director of Planning and Zoning
VIA: David Rast, Director of Community and Economic Development
DATE: Thursday, August 11, 2022
SUBJECT: R-36-22 - Street Renaming
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The City currently does not have a formal policy for renaming streets. Street names are used daily by private citizens, postal service, delivery services, utility companies, and public safety as a linear reference to locate specific places. The street naming process is generally done through the platting or subdivision process, with suggested street names proposed by a developer. In recent years some jurisdictions have begun formalizing procedures for renaming, particularly in light of increased awareness of historical names.
The City of Fayetteville street renaming committee was formed last year and includes members of the general public, residents, elected officials, and staff. The committee conducted months of research and met with other local governments with historic downtowns and established procedures for renaming public streets.
At the last meeting, the committee recommended the enclosed policy be forwarded to the Mayor and City Council for review.
CONSIDERATION OF RENAMING STREETS
Purpose
This guideline establishes policy and procedures for considering proposals for renaming streets.
Responsibility
The City Manager or the designee is responsible for reviewing requests for renaming streets and forwarding valid requests to City Council for consideration.
Policy
City Council can rename streets by resolution. This policy develops a procedure that allows City Council to consider renaming streets in a uniform manner. No street may be renamed for any individual. The City Manager, or the designee will receive and review the initial request and present valid requests to City Council for consideration.
Procedure
A. Initial Request
Any person who owns property within the City of Fayetteville may file a request to rename a street with the City Manager’s Office. Property owners may only petition to rename the street upon which they live or own property. Rental property tenants may not request to rename a street upon which they rent, nor will renters be permitted to vote on the request. Each property owner with an address (except parcels owned by institutional uses) shall have one vote on a petition requesting a street name change.
For consideration the request shall include:
1. Prior to soliciting signatures and submitting a request form, the petitioner shall speak with Community and Economic Development department for a pre-application meeting to review the policies and procedures for identifying street name for consideration by City Council. The applicant shall have no more than 120 days from the pre-application meeting to provide the required signature(s) of support for the petition.
2. Petitioners may request a name change for a street they live on or own property; however, this request must be consistent with and must not violate local, state, or federal rules, laws, or regulations. Only city-owned streets will be considered for renaming.
3. Submission of a written petition, including the proposed new name on that street. The petition must indicate that at least 75% of the parcels with an address on the same street in the city limits support the change requested. To be valid a signature, name, contact information, and address of the property owners in support shall be required.
4. A $1,000 fee to process the application. This fee will be required before presentation to City Council for consideration. The fee is nonrefundable.
Petition Review
The City Manager, or the designee shall review the petition results and if at least 75% of owners of addressed property on the street in question supports a change to the proposed new street name, the request will be presented to City Council.
The City Manager, or the designee will present these requests to City Council no later than 120 days after the request has met the criteria established for this purpose. Prior to presenting the resolution to City Council, the City Manager, or the designee will contact relevant agencies (the U.S. Post Office, Georgia Department of Transportation, Public Services, Fayette County 911 Communications Center, and similar agencies) to verify that the proposed new street name will not violate any established policies or create issues with the delivery of public services with those agencies.
City Council Consideration
City Council will review and consider the request and petition as presented. City Council is not bound by the language of the request or petition results and may consider any additional factors or information as may be relevant, in the sole judgment of City Council.
The request will be reviewed with a public hearing before City Council to allow citizens to voice their opinions on the renaming. Within 30 days of scheduling the public meeting, written notice shall be mailed to parcels directly impacted by the petition and property owners as listed on the county’s tax records. The written notice shall state the time, place and purpose of the public hearing.
Approval Procedures
If City Council approves the renaming request, the City Manager, or the designee will work with other agencies affected by the name change to ensure the street is renamed and appropriately referenced by these agencies. City staff will provide a plan for the initiation of the street renaming, and the recommended timeline for implementation.
Exceptions for Elections
In the event of an approaching election, the implementation of a new street name shall be held in abeyance for 90 days prior to the election. This will occur to assure that no citizen’s voting rights may be placed in doubt through the renaming process.
Street Signs
The Public Works Department will be responsible for changing the street signs to reflect the new name of the street, which shall occur as soon as practical and no more than six months after the change of the street name, unless this time frame falls within the exception above in Section VIII.
Future Requests
Should a request to rename a street fail, a new request may be made after a two-year waiting period. Should a request result in a street being renamed, no future requests to again rename it will be considered for a period of less than 2 years.
Adopted: Month, 2022
PETITION FOR STREET NAME CHANGE
CURRENT NAME OF STREET:
PROPOSED NAME OF STREET:
ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNER’S INFORMATION
I (We), as adjacent property owners to the above described street hereby authorize the filing of this application. I understand that the responsibility for all cost incurred relating or resulting from this request is ultimately that of the property owners affected by this street name change request.
Further I understand that street renaming often imposes significant impact on residences and businesses located on the street in that maps, banking information, driver's license information, billing information, websites, yellow page information and other advertising information, letterheads and other stationary or residential/business materials, and other information relative to the affected residences or businesses will need to be changed as a result of a street renaming.
OWNER NAME
ADDRESS
PHONE NO: EMAIL
SIGNATURE OF SUPPORT
OWNER NAME
ADDRESS
PHONE NO: EMAIL
SIGNATURE OF SUPPORT
OWNER NAME
ADDRESS
PHONE NO: EMAIL
SIGNATURE OF SUPPORT
OWNER NAME
ADDRESS
PHONE NO: EMAIL
SIGNATURE OF SUPPORT
