TITLE
Recommendation to respectfully request City Council to adopt a policy for officially designating neighborhoods, Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) and Neighborhood Improvement Districts, including the establishing of a procedure for setting boundaries, a formal application process and appropriate fees for processing applications and installing signage.
DISCUSSION
The City of Long Beach is the fifth-largest city in the state of California and was ranked in a 2000 report by USA Today, as the most ethnically diverse city in the United States. Long Beach has a variety of community names to designate and proudly emphasize the many diverse neighborhoods within its boundaries. By designating these neighborhoods we create a sense of community that creates pride and encourages investment by residents, property owners, and business proprietors. In addition, as some neighborhoods transform over time they may require a name change to identify themselves from their longtime-identified associations.
As of now, there are no formal municipal standards and policies that officially designate neighborhood names and name changes, as well as signage in the City of Long Beach. As a consensus, the City needs to enact a comprehensive and consistent procedural process for community name revisions and designations. Enacting a consistent process will create transparency to its affected sector and obtain a mutual acceptance from those who apply for the name designation as well as take into account the views of other community members. Some signage of designated neighborhoods shall also comply with state highway guidelines. Implementing such policies would ensure there is a uniformed procedure without any overlapping jurisdiction by other districts in the future.
By taking an active role in designating neighborhoods, Long Beach can help neighborhoods evolve while maintaining their historical, cultural character and integrity. A policy to designate neighborhoods will clarify th...
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