Councilor Oliver Farrell urged the Newton Public Facilities Committee to rename 18 small service roadways in Oak Hill Park to commemorate residents who died in wartime, saying the change would revive local memory of the park’s origins as World War II veterans’ housing.

Farrell described the neighborhood’s history and his outreach: he said he mailed notices to 218 addresses, hosted a March neighborhood meeting attended by approximately 80 people, and reported strong community support. "On October 31, we got a letter from the corporate engineering division that the address has officially been changed to 222 Spires, from Roadway A," Farrell said, citing a successful, individual address change as an example of how technical issues might be resolved.

Residents and veterans who spoke during the public hearing praised the plan but asked the council to preserve wayfinding and emergency response capabilities. Hattie Kerwin Derrick urged "honorary signs on top of the current existing signs," noting that families, children and delivery services rely on the single-letter roadway names. Jeff Bai, director of veteran services, recommended breaking the 18 names into war-era subsets to ensure balanced recognition across conflicts.

Councilors and staff focused on practical questions the neighborhood must address before a final vote: whether deeds or mortgages would require amendment, how GPS and mapping services would handle dual names, and whether police and fire departments would be able to locate addresses in their dispatch systems. Commissioner Sullivan agreed to review whether deeds or mortgage records would need a change; she and DPW staff affirmed they could support an "honorary name" design that retains the original roadway letter in signage and database records.

After discussing options—such as placing an honorary veteran name above the existing letter designation—the committee voted to hold the proposal for further work. Chair Susan Albright said the item would be carried forward so the applicant can consult with police, fire, assessors and legal staff and return with recommended signage and technical steps. The public hearing was left open pending those follow-ups.