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Council approves park names for Liberty Ranch and directs Gonzales Park naming for Elliott Ranch
Summary
The council directed staff to bring forward resolutions formally naming two Liberty Ranch parks and the Elliott Ranch park after public input; the Elliott Ranch recommendation prompted several family members and developer representatives to urge 'Gonsalves Park' in public comment.
The Galt City Council on July 1 provided direction to staff to advance formal names for three new parks: one park in Elliott Ranch and two in Liberty Ranch. Council voted 5-0 to forward staff and Parks & Recreation Commission recommendations for formal adoption at a future meeting.
Parks and Recreation Director Armando Solis described the naming process and said staff solicited 37 public submissions plus one developer nomination. "The city received 37 submissions by survey and 1 by email from the developer," Solis said, and presented both staff and Parks & Rec Commission recommendations for the council to consider.
For Liberty Ranch the staff recommendation listed Donatoli Park (Liberty Ranch 1) and Marengo Park (Liberty Ranch 2); the Parks & Rec Commission recommended Don Natoli, Liberty, and Freedom Park options. For the Elliott Ranch park staff recommended Gonzales Park (transcribed as variants of the family name), while the Parks & Rec Commission recommended Don Natoli, Liberty and Freedom Park options, and the director noted council retains discretion to select any submitted name.
Several commenters urged the council to select the family-proposed name for the Elliott Ranch park. Solange Gonsalves Altman, identifying herself as a descendant of the property owners, spoke at length about her father and the family dairy and asked the council to designate the Elliott park "Gonsalves Park." Price Walker, vice president of Elliott Homes, urged the council to honor the family's request and noted the developer had previously agreed to the naming as a term in sale negotiations.
Council members debated policy alignment and historical recognition. Councilmember Rodriguez and others urged including historical context at the pavilion or park marker to explain the area's dairy-farming history and to involve the historical society; several members also suggested design elements such as farm-themed playground equipment consistent with the name.
Councilmember Rodriguez moved that staff forward the Parks & Rec Commission recommendation for the two Liberty Ranch parks as Donatelli/Don Natoli Junior Park (Liberty Ranch 1) and Liberty Park (Liberty Ranch 2) and to designate the Elliott Ranch park as Gonsalves Park, with direction that staff work with the developer and community on interpretive signage or displays that reflect the area's dairy-farming history. The motion carried 5-0.
Staff will return with formal naming resolutions and any recommended plaque or interpretive text in a future meeting.
