Tuesday night, the Blytheville Planning Commission discussed proposed rules and procedures for renaming city streets.
The board is expected to hold a public hearing on the issue at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, March 13, in the Municipal Courtroom.
According to Planning Commission Chairman Jim McClain, the proposed rules will not affect the ordinance currently being considered by the Blytheville City Council to rename Marguerite Street "Henton Drive," in honor of longtime educator Gene Henton. The Council had the first of three required readings of the proposed Henton Drive ordinance during the January meeting.
However, the proposed rules would affect any future requests to rename a city street.
Under the proposal, a street could only be named after a prominent person, who must have "achieved prominence as a result of his or her significant, positive contribution to the United States of America and/or local community."
Also, the individual must be a real person and one who has been deceased for at least five years.
According to the proposal, only one street renaming application will be processed at a time, and only one street name change can be implemented per year.
As for selecting streets, the street could not be renamed if it is named after another person, if the existing name is of historical significance or if the street is significant in its own right.
The proposal requires the petitioner to first fill out an application at Code Enforcement and obtain a minimum of 500 signatures from city residents supporting the move or signatures from at least 75 percent of abutting property owners along the street proposed for renaming.
The applicant must also make a good faith effort to obtain a letter of concurrence to the proposed street renaming from the honoree's surviving spouse, children or parents in that order, under the rules being considered.
In addition, the applicant would be asked to supply a complete biography of the proposed honoree, including listing some of his or her achievements.
The applicant would have 180 days to complete and submit the required information to the Code Enforcement Office.
After receiving the applicant's packet, Code Enforcement would refer the street-naming application to the Streets and Drainage Committee for review.
According to the proposal, the committee has 45 days to review the application and advise the Planning Commission of its recommendation.
The Code Enforcement Office would notify all neighborhood and business associations, which include property owners abutting the street to be named, and ask that they submit their support or opposition in writing to Code Enforcement within 45 days.
After it passes through the Streets and Drainage Committee, Code Enforcement would notify each owner and each legal address abutting the street in question, by certified mail, that there will be a public hearing by the Planning Commission. According to the proposal, notice to the occupants may be made by regular mail or door hangers.
"All costs associated with the notifications shall be borne by the applicant," the proposal reads.
Notice of a public hearing would be published in the newspaper, and the Public Works director would submit a budget impact statement to the Planning Commission as to the cost production and installation of the new street signs.
After the Planning Commission conducts the public hearing, it will make a recommendation to the City Council, which could approve or deny the application.
If the Council votes down the application, the subject name and street could not be considered again for at least two years, under the proposal.
If it wins Council approval, Code Enforcement would notify the applicant, affected city, county, state and federal agencies, general public, emergency service organizations, owners and occupants of all property abutting the street being renamed, utility companies and the United States Postal Service.
mbrasfield@blythevillecourier.com