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Process for Naming Requests

Place and Street Name Requests

In accordance with the City's current Policy on Place Names and Name Changes adopted by Council Resolution No. 41009 in August 2022, requests for place names or name changes are eligible for the following types of City-owned property: 

  • Buildings and structures, including overpasses, bridges and viaducts
  • Real property, including open spaces and parks
  • Public rights of way that may include, but not be limited to trails, esplanades, and pathways 
  • Public rights of way and portions of real property that serve as public streets, highways, or roadways, whether improved or unimproved 

Naming proposals and name changes, including honorary roadway naming, shall be submitted in writing to the Mayor’s Office using the the following Request Form

 

How Do I Make a Naming Request?

Please use the request form to make a naming request and submit the required application materials. The following must be included in your application for the naming proposal to be considered:

  • A map illustrating the area affected by the proposal.
    Any existing place, right of way or facility names that would be affected.
  • Any common usage names or nicknames for the area or its elements, including topographical landmarks.
  • Representative photographs of the area.
  • A statement of the criteria in this policy that apply to the request, and how the proposal meets these criteria.
  • A summary of any public outreach conducted to date, including to neighborhood associations, Neighborhood Councils, Business District
  • Associations, and commercial property owners’ groups; include any media coverage or public meetings. This may include any statements of support or endorsement received. Applicants are encouraged to seek public support prior to submitting a naming request.
  • Puyallup Tribal Council or designee initiated honorary requests within the 1873 survey area of the Puyallup Reservation should demonstrate broad community support in the vicinity of the location of the honorary name.
  • A description of all planned actions for interpretive measures if the naming proposal is approved, particularly including any that would require additional permitting. For roadway naming, design review for conformance with federal standards and installation must be conducted by the City’s Public Works Department. viii. Consultation with the Puyallup Tribal Council or designee and adherence to appropriate tribal practices or protocols if the proposed name could portray tribal significance, including association with an individual, organization or event.

 

Additionally for roadway and non-roadway rights of way naming, including honorary naming, but excluding Puyallup Tribal Council or designee initiated honorary naming within the 1873 survey area of the Puyallup Reservation. A template petition form can be used  HERE

 

  • A signed petition in support of the renaming must be solicited and submitted by the proponents of the renaming prior to consideration by the City of at least two-thirds of property owners abutting the linear frontage of the affected roadway and fifty percent of those property owners within five hundred feet of the proposal. Such a petition shall be implemented at the sole expense of the proponent(s); however, the City may provide a list of affected taxpayers of record. Proponents are encouraged to use this as an opportunity to educate abutting property owners and neighbors about the importance and significance of the naming request. Given the changing makeup of neighborhoods, this step may be particularly important to gain the support of newer members of the community.

 

 

What Happens After I Submit My Naming Request?

When a naming or renaming proposal is received in the Office of the Mayor, the Mayor’s policy staff will coordinate with designated staff from the City Manager’s Office or Public Works Department, depending on the category of the naming request.  


For applications that pass the initial vetting, the City Manager's Office or Public Works Department designee shall convene an ad-hoc work group to review the completeness of the application and its alignment to City policies and goals. If the workgroup determines an application is incomplete or the criteria has not been met, the designated staff shall inform the applicant and advise on resubmitting. If the proposal is consistent with the City's goals and policies than it may move forward for legal review.

 

Once legal review is complete, designated staff will present recommendations on the naming request to the Infrastructure, Planning and Sustainability (IPS) Committee.  The IPS Committee may make a recommendation that the Council adopt the proposal, move it forward to Council without recommendation, defer if additional information is required, or deny the proposal if it doesn’t fit the policy criteria.

 

Successful naming requests shall move forward for City Council’s consideration and be presented by the designated staff through a Resolution.  City Council approved naming proposals shall be effective immediately, except official roadway renaming, which shall be effective six months after Council adoption.  

 

For additional details, please see the City’s Full Policy on Place Names and Name Changes.

 

Consideration process:

 

Contact the Mayor's Office

If you have questions or are ready to submit your application, please use the link below to submit your materials and questions. 

 

Renaming Request Form



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