Community asks county to rename stretch of Richardson Avenue for longtime resident Beatrice Mitchell; hearing set for July 31

Residents representing the McCallworth development asked the Portage County Board of Commissioners to rename a short section of Richardson Avenue for longtime neighborhood volunteer Beatrice Mitchell. Why it matters: The request is limited to a specific stretch that the residents said contains ball fields and no homes, minimizing impacts to street addresses and 9-1-1 coordination; the board must hold a public hearing before adopting a renaming resolution. Details from the request: The representative said the proposed renaming would affect the segment of Richardson Avenue running from Garfield Road to Terrell Street where, they said, a ball field and concession stand occupy the adjacent parcels. "We're here on behalf of the McCallworth development community that would like to rename a section of Richardson Avenue for former resident Beatrice Mitchell," the representative told the commissioners, adding the segment includes a ball field and no residential addresses that would need to be changed. Staff process and schedule: Cassidy (county staff) said the county will place notice and hold a public hearing; the earliest date for the required public hearing the staff listed is July 31. The representative said the group will provide a map showing the highlighted segment to be renamed and asked the county to proceed with the notice and resolution process. Next steps: Staff will publish the renaming notice and hold the public hearing on July 31; if the board later votes to approve the renaming, staff will prepare a resolution and coordinate with the engineer's office on signage and addressing implications.