It is no small thing to name a park, and yet that is precisely what we are being asked to do. As many of you know, the Petrovich Development Company is responsible for the new commercial opportunities that we know as Crocker Village. What you may not know is that, as part of that development, the City of Sacramento will have the opportunity to add a new park to its ranks, and that park will be nestled between the new commercial development and new housing that will soon be under construction. There currently is an opportunity to suggest names for that park!
There are guidelines for naming city facilities in Sacramento (facilities include parks). The naming policy, which you can find on the “Name the New Park” link on the SCNA website, was established in 2008 to create a consistent, open and deliberate public process for naming buildings, public spaces, parks, etc. The City’s Park Commission is the first stop along the way to a new name; you have a rare opportunity to lend your voice with support, or to recommend ideas for names, and to help the commission make the best possible selection of a name for a new park in our neighborhood.
Whatever the name ends up being, the Parks Commission and then the City Council will ensure that the name meets the City Facility Naming Policy, and that includes naming the park for any of the following:
- A distinct geographic, environmental or developmental feature,
- A name of historical significance to the facility,
- A reflection of the ethnic diversity of the community,
- An individual or family who has contributed significantly to the community, and, most importantly,
- With input from surrounding neighborhoods.
To get the name process started, Crocker Village Developer Paul Petrovich has put forward the name of his late father, Alexander John Petrovich, for the name of the park. We are hoping to include the write-up about Alexander Petrovich as well as other names that are shared with SCNA under the same “Name the New Park” link on the SCNA website.
It’s your turn to weigh in. Perhaps you support naming the park for Mr. Petrovich’s father; please let the city know. Or perhaps you have a good idea of your own. If you’re a train enthusiast, you might prefer a name that harkens to the time when the area was a rail yard. If you love nature, there are probably trees, birds, or other natural wonders that would be a good basis for the new park’s name. Maybe there are other historic or socially significant moments that can be memorialized in the name of the new park. Whatever name you prefer, please read the city’s naming guidelines and submit your ideas to the Department of Youth, Parks, & Community Enrichment, Attn: Crocker Village Park Name Process, 915 I Street, 3rd Floor, Sacramento 95814. (Submitting to SCNA is for publicity; we don’t get a vote on the final name!)
A date has not yet been announced for the Parks Commission to review name ideas, and while it won’t be before the June commission meeting, make your voice heard now, and may the best name win!