Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Street Naming topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council denies Buckhorn Bath Avenue name change after staff survey shows majority opposition
Summary
The Saratoga Springs City Council unanimously denied a resident-led request to rename Buckhorn Bath Avenue after staff door‑to‑door and applicant surveys showed a majority of responding neighbors opposed the change.
The Saratoga Springs City Council on April 20 unanimously denied a petition to change the name of Buckhorn Bath Avenue, after staff and applicant surveys found more neighbors opposed the proposal than supported it.
City staff told the council they had re‑surveyed the street by knocking on doors and distributing tags. Staff said 18 of the 27 residences on the street responded to the city’s survey; of those, six were in favor and 12 opposed. The applicant, Michael McKay, submitted a separate survey he said he had distributed personally; he told the council his earlier survey showed different proportions but acknowledged the city’s follow‑up found a majority opposed.
Counsel and staff said the city had offered three options: approval, denial or continuance. Council discussion focused on standardizing the survey process and on whether petitioners should be required to use city‑specified formats for future name‑change petitions. Councilman Wheldon praised staff’s outreach and recommended codifying a city‑approved petition and survey method so future results are comparable.
Councilmember Wheldon moved to deny the proposed street name change; Councilman Wadman seconded. During roll call the council recorded unanimous support for denial. The motion was recorded as denying the proposed name change “as currently stated on the agenda, including the staff findings and conditions listed.”
Councilmembers and staff noted some technical inconsistencies between the applicant’s survey and the city survey and said those inconsistencies reinforced the need for a standardized process. Staff also said, and council agreed, that applicants who win an approved name change must pay for replacement signs; staff provided an estimate of about $300–$400 per sign for the three signs that would have required replacement in this case.
The council asked staff to draft a code amendment to require petitioners to use a city‑specified survey process and to consider a fee to cover staff time for administration of resident surveys and notification.
Votes at a glance: The council’s motion to deny the proposed street‑name change passed unanimously.
