[HISTORY: Derived from Art. XVI of Ch. VI of the Charter
and Ordinances, 1974, of the City of Buffalo. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
All streets heretofore laid out and dedicated, all parks and
all public buildings shall be known by the names now recorded, and
no change in the name of any street, park or public building or the
naming of a new or unnamed street, park or public building, with the
exception of the proposed downtown baseball stadium, shall be made
except under the procedures outlined in this chapter.
The Common Council shall not approve and the City Engineer shall
not record any street, park or public building name when any other
street, park or public building shall have been recorded with the
same name unless a new street, park or public building is a continuation
of or in alignment with or an addition to existing recorded streets,
parks or public buildings, in which event they shall bear the same
name of said existing streets, parks or public buildings.
A.
Request for consideration to adopt a new name or change of name.
(1)
Any number of City residents by petition to the Common Council or
the Mayor by written communication to the Common Council or any Councilman
by resolution duly filed may request the Common Council to consider
the naming or change of name of a public street, park or public building.
B.
Notice of intention. The Common Council may disapprove or approve
any such request. If the Common Council approves such request, a public
hearing shall be held thereon. The Common Council shall direct the
City Clerk to prepare and submit to the Common Council for its consideration
a notice of intention to name or change the name of the public street,
park or public building designated in the aforesaid request. Said
notice of intention shall contain the proposed name or change of name,
the existing name, if any, and the time and place for the public hearing.
The hearing shall be held before the Common Council in its Council
chambers.
C.
Notice of public hearing. Notice of the public hearing shall be given
by publication of the aforesaid notice of intention pursuant to the
manner authorized by Section 48 of the Charter. Publication of said
notice shall be made once a week for two consecutive weeks. The first
publication shall be made no later than 30 days after the adoption
by the Common Council of the aforesaid notice. The public hearing
shall be held before the Common Council within 10 days after the date
of the last publication.
D.
Within 30 days following the public hearing described in Subsections B and C, the Common Council must act on the proposed name or change of name. The concurrence of three-fourths (3/4) of the members of the full Council shall be required to approve such name or change of name if the name involves that of a street; otherwise a majority shall suffice. The failure of the Common Council to act within 30 days shall be deemed to be a refusal of the proposed name or change of name.
The City Engineer shall keep a record of the names of all streets
and parks. No person shall put up any street sign or other sign naming
a park or public building until the same shall be recorded.
The City Clerk shall send a certified copy of an approved notice
of intention naming or changing the name of a street, park or public
building to the Erie County Division of Planning, Erie County Commissioner
of Finance, City Planning Board, Department of Assessment of the City
of Buffalo, Division of Planning of the Department of Community Development,
Division of Engineering of the Department of Public Works and the
main branch of the United States Post Office located in Buffalo, New
York.
Every public building owned and maintained by the City of Buffalo
for governmental purposes shall have an identification sign, visible
from the street or public right-of-way, indicating the name of the
building.
