City opts to create naming policy for unnamed park on Greenback Lane

By Mike Hazlip—
The Citrus Heights City Council earlier this month agreed to begin a formal selection process to determine a name for an unnamed green space area on Greenback Lane.

The area was created in 2008 when the city demolished a row of duplex homes as part of the Greenback Lane complete streets project. The area features a curved path and public art sculpture titled “Up Up and Away” by artist Colin Lambert, but has remained without an official name.

City staff presented several options during an April 13 council meeting, including allowing the council to select a name, seeking community based ideas, using historical names, forming an ad-hoc naming committee, or developing an official city ordinance.

The city currently does not have an official naming process, city staff said.

Councilwoman Porsche Middleton said she would like to see an ordinance formalizing a naming policy for the park and other potential naming opportunities in the future, which was a sentiment echoed by her fellow council members.

“I love the fact that we always have community based input around when we’re doing these kind of projects,” Middleton said.

Mayor Tim Schaefer suggested holding a flash vote to determine the park’s name, which appeared to have support.

City staff were given direction to move forward in developing a naming ordinance, which is expected to then be brought back to the council for final approval.

The council’s discussion of the matter originated last year when resident Thomas Spencer approached the City Council during an Aug. 25, 2022 meeting after the subject came up in a previous meeting of the Park Oaks Neighborhood Association (PONA). Spencer said PONA residents supported the idea to officially designate a name for the green space.

“I call it a green area,” Spencer said, referencing the landscaped swath of about 675 feet along Greenback Lane, between Parkoaks Drive and Oakside Drive. “It doesn’t have a designation and the members of the meeting thought it would be great to have a name.”