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Staff propose guidelines to broaden diversity, documentation in park-naming process
Summary
Senior planner Betsy Anderson presented draft guidelines to implement Council Resolution 10151, recommending more documentation for proposed names, consultation with cultural groups (including tribes), added historical context on the citys website, and guidance for non-English names and naming categories.
City staff presented draft guidelines intended to help the Parks and Community Services Board and the public propose and evaluate park names that align with Council Resolution 10151 and the citys priorities for diversity, equity and inclusion.
Betsy Anderson, senior planner, told the board staff reviewed Bellevues nearly 100 park and facility names and found that more than a third are naturalistic and more than a quarter are place-based, while few reflect indigenous names or recognize women. "That necessitates that we need to go out, and spend more time communicating and consulting, engaging with other cultural groups," Anderson said, describing steps staff plan to add when evaluating name proposals.
Staff recommended several operational changes to improve consistency and documentation: ask proposers to provide supporting research and historical context, consult cultural groups or tribes connected to a site when appropriate, provide clearer guidance on transcribing or translating non-English names (including phonetic pronunciations), and supply more background material in board packets so commissioners can review survey results and provenance before meetings.
Board members offered practical suggestions. Several asked that staff post existing park names and provenance so nominators can avoid duplication and understand context; others requested a simple form that requires a short rationale and relevant history. Eileen (speaker 7) asked that staff show the team behind the department newsletter and consider providing historical write-ups on park-name pages; Elizabeth (speaker 2) urged that the publics time and effort in proposing names be respected by keeping community input meaningful.
Members also discussed whether to set clearer conventions for labels such as "mini park" versus "neighborhood park," and whether to develop renaming protocols for the future. Anderson said the guidelines are focused on future naming and not on renaming existing parks, though staff will note when renaming might be appropriate and could return with renaming protocols later.
Staff said next steps are to incorporate board feedback into the guidelines and phase the guidance into naming processes tied to specific park projects; a naming item may appear on a future board agenda after revisions. No formal action was taken at the meeting.
