City nixes list of potential street names
Diversity cited as one reason for starting down the naming road from scratch
What was formerly a list of 400 potential new St. John’s street names is being scrapped and begun anew as part of a new street naming policy.
Approved by St. John’s city council on Monday, the newly minted policy will include an online application process where residents can submit suggestions along with a description and rationale behind the name.
There was little context given for names in the previous list.
“A lot of those names we don’t know how they got there,” said Coun. Ron Ellsworth. “There’s no history of why the names are important.”
Ellsworth says starting fresh with a new list allows for greater representation and reflection of the St. John’s community as a whole. To this end, the inclusion advisory committee will be consulted, along with other groups as needed.
“Anybody who has unique names tied to your history or your culture that you want brought forward, you can certainly do that,” said Ellsworth.
The St. John’s Regional Fire Department will also be consulted to ensure no names are duplicated in the fire department’s service area.
“Life safety is obviously very important,” said Ellsworth. “The last thing we want is any duplication of street names.”
The street naming advisory committee, which will review street naming applications from both developers and the public, will replace the nomenclature committee, which Ellsworth says was there “for a lifetime.”
Although the previously list is being erased, people who have had their suggestion nixed by the process are welcome to submit again.
A clear description of the philosophy behind the name, whether new or returning to the pool, will ensure a greater chance of being considered for selection.
Ellsworth said the majority of the process is done at “staff level,” and is not meant to have political connotations other than inclusive community input.
“We’re trying to be more open and transparent about the naming process.”