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Residents ask Urbana to create honorary street-naming program, propose streets for Janice Mitchell and Lawrence "LC" Owens
Summary
Several residents asked the Urbana City Council to establish an honorary street-naming program modeled on Champaign’s and proposed honoring community leaders Janice Mitchell and Lawrence “LC” Owens with street or facility names.
Speakers at the City of Urbana’s rescheduled council meeting urged creation of an honorary street-naming program and asked the council to name public infrastructure after two longtime community volunteers.
Benita Rollins Gay told the council she is requesting the city “get on board with Champaign” and establish an honorary street-name program. She proposed naming a street after Janice Marie Mitchell, who died Nov. 15, 2021, and described Mitchell’s work with Prairie Tracks Brothers and Sisters, the Sankofa summer program, Urbana Neighborhood Connection Center and Urbana schools.
Delilane Owens asked the council to consider naming a street or community facility for her late husband, Lawrence “LC” Owens (1947–2023). Owens’ remarks catalogued his decades of local service: long employment at the University of Illinois, coaching youth football, running a daycare that fostered more than 250 children, work with Salem Church’s soup kitchen and recognition as foster parents of the year in Illinois.
Other public speakers supported the idea. A family member of Mitchell urged the council to rename Hartle Street “Janice Mitchell Way.” Lucinda Smith and Beth Hand described prior attempts to request street names and a history of community service by the proposed honorees. Resident Ben Jocelyn and additional speakers said a naming program would let neighborhoods recognize local leaders and better reflect community histories.
Council members acknowledged prior attempts to establish a naming policy. Council member Chris said the issue had been raised four years earlier and recommended involving the Historic Preservation Commission, noting that an ordinance draft had been prepared previously. Council member James said a July 2022 petition of about 100 signatures had been presented but that administration had not prioritized the program. Council member Grace and others supported creating a process and suggested staff and commissioners draft policy language to return to council.
No formal action or vote was taken to create the program at the meeting. Council members discussed next steps: referring the idea to the Historic Preservation Commission, gathering paperwork used by Champaign, and developing an ordinance or process that would allow neighborhoods to nominate honorees. Several council members said they would work with community organizers to compile a formal proposal and documentation for future consideration.
The public input on this item concluded with the council chair closing the public-input portion of the meeting and stating the council will continue communications on the subject at future meetings.
