By Sara Beth Williams–
The Citrus Heights City Council is expected on Wednesday to consider and discuss the possibility of renaming Sayonara Drive. The City Council meeting will be held Wednesday, June 10, at 6 p.m. at Citrus Heights City Hall, 6360 Fountain Square Drive.
In December 2025, two city council members requested the city examine the possibility of renaming the street, known over the decades for issues of crime and blight. In March, the city issued a survey by mail to 174 property owners and tenants who live on or own property on Sayonara Drive with information on the proposal.
Out of 174 surveys mailed out, 16 were undeliverable, or delivered to vacant properties. According to the agenda packet, 37 surveys in total, or 23 percent, were received by the city. Twenty-three property owners, including current Habitat for Humanity homeowners, expressed support for the name change. Two property owners surveyed said they did not support the name change, and three indicated they were undecided.
Of the nine tenants who completed surveys, seven did not support a future name change, while two said they supported renaming the street.
Residents who received a survey were able to either reply by mail, or reply online through a provided link, the city said.
Renaming Sayonara Drive would cost $10,700 the city said, which would include expenses such as staff time, public outreach in the form of advertising and informational materials, plus the direct cost of installing new street signs. A total of eight signs would require replacement, including two large mast arm signs over Sunrise Boulevard, requiring traffic control.
Prior to the City’s incorporation in 1997, Sayonara Drive was widely known for decades locally and regionally for high crime, building blight, overcrowding, absentee property ownership, and traffic safety concerns, according to the city.
Following incorporation, the city began revitalization efforts, including public investments and improvements such as installation of street lighting, traffic and pedestrian safety enhancements, and the acquisition and demolition of uninhabited buildings. The city also made plans to establish long term replacement housing, intended to promote “stable, owner-occupied residences.”
Habitat for Humanity Greater Sacramento officials said the city and Habitat for Humanity had been discussing plans to partner together to achieve those goals for at least a decade and began earnest talks to partner and build housing in 2023.
The first eight homes in a planned 26-home community on Sayonara Drive were completed and dedicated on Saturday, June 6, with the second phase of eight homes currently under construction through Habitat for Humanity.
While many survey respondents associated with the ongoing Habitat for Humanity project expressed support for street renaming as part of the neighborhood’s revitalization efforts, other respondents not associated with Habitat for Humanity suggested focusing city efforts on more tangible neighborhood and infrastructure improvements versus a symbolic change of name.
Many respondents who opposed the proposal viewed the change as only symbolic, and questioned whether a symbolic renaming would result in any meaningful changes to the neighborhood. Some also expressed concerns about the inconvenience and the costs associated.
In the mailed survey, tenants and property owners were invited to attend an informal community meeting to discuss and ask questions in April. The city said no members of the public attended the meeting.
The city also said notices were mailed out to property owners and tenants informing residents of the planned discussion of the proposal at the June 10 City Council meeting.
“As this new residential community continues to take shape, the City has the opportunity to consider actions that reflect and support the neighborhood’s ongoing transformation,” the city said, adding that renaming the street represents a step toward establishing a “renewed identity distinct from historical conditions.”
If the City Council approves and directs staff to move forward with changing the name of the street, a copy of the Resolution must be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors of the County of Sacramento as required by Government Code Section 34092.
Those wishing to make a public comment during the meeting can do so by attending the council meeting on June 10, 2026, at City Hall, or by submitting a written comment beforehand using the city’s website. Written comments are no longer being read out loud following amendments to the City Council’s handbook, but will be included in City Council agenda packets. The deadline to submit comments online is 4 p.m. on the day of the meeting.
View the full agenda packet from the City’s Agenda Center: Click here.
