Portland City Council To Follow Existing City Code for All Street Renaming Applications

portlandjimbo: Look around the city and you will find hundreds if not thousands of streets named for people not from here, who have never been here and who have never helped Portlanders. Kelly

Those people meet the criteria by being of National significense. Chavez was neither of local or national significense. Our familly came to Oregon on the Oregon trail, we farmed here and Chavez had nothing to do with any of our work ever, NONE

Portland's going to follow the law, despite the previous ethnic group pandering and "Commissioner Sam's pet project" priority funding? How quaint!

Too bad that following the law merits a headline at CommissionerSam.com

César Chavez co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers. Supporters say his work led to numerous improvements for union laborers. He is hailed as one of the greatest American civil rights leaders. His birthday has become a holiday in eight U.S. states. Many parks, cultural centers, libraries, schools, and streets have been named in his honor in cities across the United States.

We have a strong & emerging wine industry in Oregon because of the legacy left by Don César Chavez. Yes, latino farmers make sure that the fine Pinot Noir you drink at the Portland City Grill is produced from the best grapes this nation can grow.

It seems at a time of imigration reform that the Latino comunity would not want to bring attention to someone who was so apposed to illegal imigrants and actually turned them in when they crossed his picket line. I don't think Chavez ever had anything to do with the wine industry in Oregon. He would never have been suportive of the illegal workers in the wine feilds today.

This is the reply we received from the Office of the City Attorney:

The Historic Landmarks Commission is a review body created to perform specific functions listed in the Portland Zoning Code. Those powers and duties are found in PCC 33.710.060(D):
D. Powers and duties. The Historic Landmarks Commission has all of the powers and duties which are assigned to it by this Title or by City Council. The Commission powers and duties include:

1. Establishing or removing Historic Landmark and Conservation Landmark designations for specific buildings or sites in quasi-judicial reviews;

2. Recommending the establishment or removal of Historic Landmark and Conservation Landmark designations to the City Council in legislative actions;

3. Recommending the establishment, amendment, or removal of Historic Districts and Conservation Districts to the Planning Commission and the City Council;

4. Recommending and developing design guidelines for Historic Districts and Conservation Districts to the City Council;

5. Reviewing development proposals for Historic Landmarks and Conservation Landmarks and in Historic Districts and Conservation Districts;

6. Reviewing demolition and relocation requests for certain Historic landmarks and buildings in Historic Districts;

7. Providing advice on historic preservation matters to the Hearings Officer, Design Commission, Planning Commission, Portland Development Commission, other City commissions and committees, and City Council; and

8. Initiating and coordinating historic preservation and public outreach programs in the City, including reviewing recommendations for national register status and making recommendations to other governmental agencies regarding historic preservation programs and issues.

These powers and duties do not include a role in the street renaming process contained in City Code chapter 17.93. (The phrase 'historic preservation' refers to preservation of identified historic resources.) Additionally, the Zoning Code does not generally apply within public rights-of-way.

With certain exceptions not relevant here, the Code specifically provides that "land within public rights-of-way is regulated by Title 17, Public Improvements, and not by Title 33." PCC 33.100.030(B).

Thanks,

Shoshanah

Thanks for the feedback. Looking forward to an open and well thought-out process.

"relsnac"

We will check with the City Attorney and post their reply here.

Thanks,

Shoshanah

"relsnac"

The Office of the City Attorney states neighborhood organizations choose their own names according to their own bylaws:

The neighborhood associations are non-profit organizations, formed under Oregon law. The corporate names are registered with the Oregon Secretary of State, Changes in the name must follow the corporate by-laws in terms of procedure, and the name change must be given to the Secretary of State's office. Under Oregon law, the Secretary of State is charged with determining whether corporate names might cause confusion by overlap, so the organization should check first with the Secretary's office to determine if a name has already been taken by another entity. Once a name change occurs, the association notifies ONI, and the city's records are accordingly modified. The City doesn't otherwise play a role in this process. These name changes occur periodically. Recent examples include Corbett Terwilliger Lair Hill changing to South Portland, and the Downtown Neighborhood Association changing to the Portland Downtown Neighborhood Association.

Shoshanah

Numbered streets are quit an important part of our grid. Without them it is much harder to navigate. That would affect emergency services. More name streets is more to have to remember, most people know that 15th ave is 5 blocks from 20th ave. St Johns is an awfull mess with name streets both ways. Lets not get screwed up like that.

"Michael Roche"

We will not know what street they want to rename until they turn in an initial application that actually names the streets they seek considered for renaming. After that each application has to jump through a five-step process that includes hearings before three committees where public testimony will be taken.

Shoshanah

"cindy"

I will get the exact number, but Portland has very few opportunities to name any new streets, much less to name any new major streets each year. We have some new housing subdivisions being built but many of those must use the names of the existing street grid. However, your idea to auction them off is a useful idea I will pass along to Commissioner Adams.

Shoshanah

Auctioning the names of is a bad idea, that way we (the people) really lose control of what is ours. The what ifs are endless on that one, 82nd could be named after Trojan.... The ones that do deserve recognition would never get it.

Let me get this right: you want to name a street for some local latino, japanese, chinese, or native american but not a local street for a national hero who has never set foot in Portland.

Hmmm...

Who? and which street?

Meantime...

Lincoln, Washington, US Grant...

Do they have strees named for them in Portland?

Ah, yes, they do....

I wonder if they ever set foot in Portland...

Oh, what about the proposal to rename 42nd Avenue? Let's see, you don't say anything about that...

Maybe you really aren't the Pinot Noir drinking Portland liberal you pretend to be...

You are not fooling anyone!

Washington, Lincoln, Grant do meet the set criteria by having national significense. Chavez has no local or national significense.

...I appreciate that at least you came out in the open with it.

http://www.articleclick.com/national-heroes.html:

“A hero is most often defined by a action that they did that was considered outstanding or extraordinary. Many individuals have label Martian Luther King Jr. or Rosa Parks national heroes because of the steps that they took to ensure equality among all races. In addition the two of them there are other historical national heroes that fought for a cause that benefited the American public in one way or another.”

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

“César Estrada Chávez (March 31, 1927 – April 23, 1993), born in Yuma, Arizona, was an American farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist who, with Dolores Huerta, co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers...

He is hailed as one of the greatest American civil rights leaders. His birthday has become a holiday in eight U.S. states. Many parks, cultural centers, libraries, schools, and streets have been named in his honor in cities across the United States…

In 1992 Chávez was awarded the Pacem in Terris Award. It was named after a 1963 encyclical letter by Pope John XXIII that calls upon all people of good will to secure peace among all nations. Pacem in Terris is Latin for "Peace on Earth."

…His birthday, March 31, is celebrated in California as a state holiday. All state government offices, community colleges, and most libraries are closed, except for K-12 schools.

…The California cities of Modesto, Sacramento, San Diego, Berkeley, and San Jose, California have renamed parks after him... In Los Angeles, César E. Chávez Avenue…extends from Sunset Boulevard and runs through East Los Angeles and Monterey Park.

In San Francisco, César Chávez Street, originally named Army Street, is named in his memory…In Austin, Texas, one of the central thoroughfares was changed to César Chávez Boulevard. In Ogden, Utah, a four-block section of 30th Street was renamed Cesar Chavez Street. In 2003, the United States Postal Service honored him with a postage stamp. In Grand Rapids, Michigan, the business loop of I-196 Highway is named "Cesar E Chavez Blvd." The (AFSC) American Friends Service Committee nominated him three times for the Nobel Peace Prize.[15]

On December 6, 2006, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver inducted César Chávez into the California Hall of Fame located at The California Museum for History, Women, and the Arts.

This isn't California, or Los Portland. I don't really care what they do down there, we have our own unique heritage that has nothing to do with Chavez. He has had no influence on any local history. Our familly had farmed here during Chavez's time and he had no affect on our lives or the lives of anyone who had worked on our farms. Elvis was on a stamp also but I don't want my st named after him either.

...for all farm workers (not farm bosses) across the nation, including in Oregon.

Don't drink the cool aid. It's not what they claim

"Ron Willem"

Thanks for your suggestion. We do allow street name caps similar to what you describe -- and someone could ask for that -- but the 1989 Portland City Code also allows for actual street renamings.

Shoshanah

Our st. caps mean the elimination of the cap with the number of the block grid. Kind of a poor trade off for a historical vanity sign that is of no practical value in the so what districts

"Sue"

Someone also could apply to rename a school or a park or a library or a bridge or a public building as well as a street. But the 1989 Portland City Code expressedly allows an individual or organization to apply for a street renaming. The process is not easy. The 1989-appoved street renaming processes requires that the applicants successfully get five steps of approval before a street can be renamed

Shoshanah

"Sue"

Someone also could apply to rename a school or a park or a library or a bridge or a public building as well as a street. But the 1989 Portland City Code expressedly allows an individual or organization to apply for a street renaming. The process is not easy. The 1989-appoved street renaming processes requires that the applicants successfully get five steps of approval before a street can be renamed

Shoshanah

I think the Park idea is a very interesting one and maybe closer to what Cesar Chavez was about. Also adding signs ("Honorary Caeser Chavez Blvd.") to existing signs as was done in NW Portland with the Alphabet District works well.

Where in PDX would anyone find a street, where bringing attention to the struggles of farm workers for better pay and safer working conditions make sense?

That's why I really like the Park idea.
It represents families, schools, children, business, a place to refresh. It's a gathering place for everyone, and it's not going to reflect poorly on the the history and heritage of many different groups that built this great city. It might in fact bring them all out to one place to reflect on the "National Hero" we have all benefited from...Latino or not, and to mend the fence and BS that was tossed around last year.

What would Cesar Chavez have wanted?

Why not name your kid ceasor chavez

portlandjimbo such vaulting ambition! You really are a piece of work. Keep portland weird is one thing it has lost, but you're just plan stupid and mean. You poke, pokers suck. Try joning in the conversaion, you might learn something and contribute.

My appologie for that one

"portlandjimbo"

The Portland City Engineer decides whether or not an application meets the technical eligibility requirements spelled out in Portland City Code Chapter 17.93 that governs the evaluation of street renaming applications. He presently is evaluating the 42nd Avenue street renaming application. The fact that a street and its name stop for a section and then pick up again does is not inherently make that street ineligible for renaming under the City code.

Shoshanah

The street dosn't stop, it shifts over a block. The 42nd st coridor is not entirely 42nd st.. 42 is over a block in the residential area at certain points. Also the number streets need to be preserved as they stand.

"portlandjimbo"

We see on the map what you are describing about 42nd Avenue.

Shoshanah

"Terry Parker"

Thank you for your blog entry. As we have detailed in the attached documents, the 19-year-old Portland City Code Chapter 17.93 governs how applications to rename streets should be evaluated.

As Commissioner Adams writes in his blog statement above street renamings are almost always controversial in all U.S. cities regardless of the street or who it is to be renamed for. The City Code does not require consensus; it does require a five-step process for getting a street renaming application approved.

Shoshanah

Now it becomes perfectly clear why the City must hire a consultant. In other words, make sure the consultant understands the preconceived agenda of obtaining an approval recommendation all the way through the five step process for any street in his or her contract so Sam and the other City Council members can absolve themselves of recommending any change no matter how controversial. Obviously a set up railroad job City of Portland style with the up front costs of only $35,000.00. But then there are all the street signs, business cards, stationary, maps etc, etc, etc, costing the taxpayers how much? That too undoubtedly will come out of the street maintenance budget thereby creating an even bigger backlog. Once again Sam is playing games with the taxpayer’s money for a special interest agenda that can be used in the future for his own personal gain.

"Terry Parker"

As described on the attached FAQ, street name signs cost about $20 each. Also described in the attached information is the fact that we have received two and possibility a third request for renaming city streets. These requests each come from a grassroots effort.

Shoshanah

You mean $40.00 per sign (per the FAQ)
X (times)
the unknown quantity of signs needed (which depends on the length of the street and the number of signs.
+ (plus)
any highway and roadway directional signs needed that cost more
= (equals)
less money to fill potholes and an increased street maintenance backlog

Yup - it should come out of the bicycle budget!

You forgot labor

Well put Terry-
We should have a mayor that represents the will of his people, not a small handfull of special interest. His constituants have voiced their opinion on this matter allready and if that voice is ignored then we have a dictator for a leader. I was going to say more but wont.

All we need is a plastic bag tax and we can hire all sorts of consultants, forget the potholes

allways wantud to be an english teecher- now I are one