TITLE
Recommendation to name the park site located at the Pacific Electric Right-of-Way between Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue and Lemon Avenue "National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Freedom Park."
DISCUSSION
On October 7, 2014, Councilmember Dee Andrews requested that the Mayor and Members of the City Council refer to the Parks and Recreation Commission a request to recommend a name for the portion of the Pacific Electric Right-of-Way located between Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue and Lemon Avenue. The Parks and Recreation Commission considered this request at their November 20, 2014 meeting and unanimously supported the proposed name. (Attachment)
The Administrative Regulations AR 8-7 applies to the naming of all public land, buildings and facilities. AR 8-7 provides several policies to guide the consideration of a naming request. The following are those policies:
• The name should incorporate Long Beach whenever important for civic recognition or identification;
• A name in honor of a recognized geographic area, a topographic feature or a historically significant event may be appropriate;
• A name in honor of persons or families who have donated the land or a substantial portion of the improvement costs may be appropriate when applicable;
• A name in honor of a person or persons who have served the nation, the State of California, and/or the City of Long Beach in an exceptional or distinguished manner may be appropriate if warranted by service of major significance;
• A name in honor of a living person, or of a deceased person within one year of their death, is not appropriate unless the significance of that person's contribution is worthy of an exception to the policy;
• A name in honor of a person is not appropriate when a name in honor of another person has been given to the same site, building or facility in the past;
• A name in honor of a person is not appropriate if that person has been overly recognized in the past; and,
• A name may be selected through a competition or a contest.
In accordance with this regulation, the name referred to the Parks and Recreation Commission, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Freedom Park, recognizes not only the positive local, regional, and national impact that this civil rights organization has achieved, but also the people who have worked tirelessly to fulfill its mission of equality and inclusiveness.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action on this matter is not time critical.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact with the recommended action.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
DEE ANDREWS
COUNCILMAN; CHAIR, HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOODS COMMITTEE