Springfield city commissioners are expected to vote during their next public meeting on March 29 to repeal a section in Springfield’s codified ordnances titled “streets and alleys-name change. That section is based on Ohio Revised Code.
If repealed, the new policy proposed by the city would likely be enacted two weeks later and would not need commission approval. However, city officials say it would take into account comments made by commissioners and the public regarding the name change process.
“So this is really an opportunity for us to make our procedures a little less confusing to the public,” said Logan Cobbs, the deputy city manager for the city of Springfield.
“There has been an uptick in applications here and so we thought it was a great time to be proactive here and really look at the policies that we have set forth,” Cobbs added.
The procedures being proposed will apply to all requested street name changes in the city, including the dual-naming of streets. It will make so those request go directly to the City Manager’s office, in which a determination will be made, and then will go before city commissioners for approval.
Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck said that it will allow them to better handle those requests and look at ways to make the process smoother.
In terms of name change request, dual naming allows the street’s original name to stay the same but will also include the name of the person being honored. With that option, residents will not have to change their addresses.
In the past, those applications and petitions had to go to the City Planning Board. Cobbs said that the process could be confusing or tedious for a lot of applicants and the goal is to make the process more concise.
What city officials are proposing will not change the requirement of a nonrefundable application fee and those making the request will still need to provide a map showing the location of the impacted roadway and its proximity to an applicant or honoree’s home or businesses.
There will also need to be summary of how the honoree positively impacted the community or area. Those being honored must have been retired at least 10 years from an distinguished career or have made an accomplishment to the city or region, Logan added.
Once approved, signs with the honoree’s name will stay up for five years and there will be an option for renewal after that period. That would include another application fee.
Suggestions made by city commissioners and the public regarding the petition process, designed to give property owners and businesses some say in regards to the street name change request, are still being considered. How much that fee for renewal will be is still being discussed.
Two recent name change request approved by the city occurred last year. In September, commissioners approved a request adding the name of a late former city police officer who dedicated most of his career to working with local children onto a section of West McCreight Avenue.
Herman Carr’s name is to be added to 0.7-mile portion of West McCreight between North Fountain Boulevard and Saint Paris Road.
Carr, who died in 2019, served in the Springfield Police Division for 27 years before retiring in 1988. He is best known for creating the Safety City program in 1969, which saw almost 1,000 children participating each summer until he retired.
In October, a part of West Clark Street was approved to share the name of a former resident who came to the city from the small town of Sparta, Georgia as a young man looking for a better life and ended up becoming a well known figure in his community.
After a request from friends and family members, Youlish Rhodes Sr., will have his name added to the street where he owned a teal colored house for a number of years.
Rhodes passed away last May at the age of 100. He worked for the city’s sanitation department for nearly 30 years and was also very active in his local church and became a deacon with Saint Luke Baptist Church, which is now known as Restored Life Ministries.
About the Author
