[HISTORY: Adopted by the Council of the City of Perth Amboy:
10-8-08 as Ord. No. 1444-2008. Amended in
its entirety 5-25-2011 by Ord. No. 1560-2011. Subsequent amendments noted
where applicable.]
The purpose of this chapter is to establish guidelines and procedures
for the honorary naming of streets or public areas and for the acceptance
and placement of monuments within the City of Perth Amboy.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
Any plaque, statue, structure, tree, shrub, landscaping,
or other object or thing constructed, erected, planted, or otherwise
located on city property, and intended to remain on such property
on a long term basis, to commemorate or memorialize any person, place
or event.
A.
Naming procedure. Any organization or resident wishing to propose
an honorary name for a street, plaza or other public area in the City
of Perth Amboy shall submit to the City Clerk a petition supported
by the names, addresses and signatures of Perth Amboy residents totaling
at least one percent (1%) of the number of voters in the last municipal
election, as determined by the City Clerk.
B.
Under special circumstances the Mayor and Council may consider and
relax the number of required signatures on an individual case basis,
but any such action will not set a precedent.
C.
It shall be the responsibility of the petitioner to present the rationale
for the honorary name addition.
D.
The Mayor and Council will consider the request and decide within
two (2) months whether to introduce an ordinance. If the Mayor and
Council decide favorably on the petition, they shall determine the
time period assigned to the honorary naming. The honorary name to
be given to any street, road, avenue, plaza, park site or to any other
public place will be introduced by the City Council, in ordinance
form, voted upon and published in the local newspaper and the local
citizens will have the opportunity to be heard and after the reading
at a public meeting for at least two (2) of said meetings, it will
become official and permanent.
E.
Names. The name of a particular person to be selected shall be a
person deceased at least fifteen (15) or more years. It shall be a
renowned name of fame and honor.
F.
Places. The name of places should be American cities, states, counties
and villages or names where a historical event took place or names
of local historical places of the City of Perth Amboy.
G.
The proposed honorary naming will be guided by the sensitivities
and values of all members of the community and the suitability and
significance of the proposed name. There shall be no discrimination
because of sex, race, creed, national origin or ancestry.
H.
All proposed name additions will not change the original name of
the street and will be added in a manner respectful of all citizens.
The existing and official legal addresses for residents and businesses
shall remain constant and not be affected by the honorary designation.
I.
The organization requesting the nomination of the honorary street
name will be responsible for the petition signing and shall also be
responsible for the cost of the additional signage.
J.
Signage will be consistent as to size and color with previous honorary
signs, not exceeding six (6) inches and twenty-four (24) inches, shall
be royal blue in color, shall not overshadow the original name of
the street or plaza and shall conform in all aspects to existing signage
within the City.
[Amended 9-28-2022 by Ord. No. 2055-2022]
K.
Under special circumstances the Mayor and Council may relax any provision
of this chapter.
A.
The entire length of Madison Avenue shall be designated as "Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. Boulevard" with honorary permanent signage designated
"Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard" being placed beneath the existing
signage designation located on Madison Avenue between the intersections
of Market and Smith Streets.
[Added 10-8-2008 by Ord.
No. 1442-2008]
B.
The honorary permanent signage designated "Juan Pablo Duarte Park"
shall be placed beneath the existing signage designation at Caledonia
Roessler Park.
[Added 10-8-2008 by Ord.
No. 1443-2008]
C.
The honorary permanent signage designated “Peru Boulevard”
shall be place beneath the existing signage designation located on
Linden Street between the intersections of Sadowski Parkway and Lewis
Street.
[Added 7-13-2022 by Ord. No. 2039-2022]
A.
Any organization or resident wishing to place a monument on city
property shall submit to the City Clerk a completed written application
that outlines the main purpose and concept of the proposed monument.
Applications may be obtained from the City Clerk's office.
(1)
Each application shall set forth, at a minimum, the following details
of the proposed monument:
(a)
A description of the monument and materials;
(b)
A description of the design and dimension of the monument with
photographs or drawings;
(c)
A description of text and images on the monument with photographs
or drawings;
(d)
A description of the purpose of the monument detailing the significance
of the person, place, or event being commemorated;
(e)
An explanation of site selection; and
(f)
Estimated costs and funding sources.
(2)
Each application shall be accompanied by a petition supported by
the names, addresses and signatures of Perth Amboy residents totaling
at least one percent (1%) of the number of voters in the last municipal
election, as determined by the City Clerk. Any application submitted
by the city department shall be exempted from the petition requirement
of this subsection.
B.
The City Clerk will review each application for completeness. Upon
the City Clerk's determination as to the completeness of the application,
the application shall be presented to the City Council for initial
review and approval of the purpose, concept, and location of the proposed
monument.
C.
If the City Council approves the purpose, concept, and location of
the proposed monument, the City Engineer, Zoning Officers, the Historic
Preservation Commission, and their designees shall conduct a review
of the proposal to determine whether it meets the city's monument
acceptance criteria. All proposals shall be reviewed according to
the following acceptance criteria, in addition to any other criteria
deemed relevant by the city:
(1)
Location.
(a)
The applicant has demonstrated a specific geographic justification
for the memorial being located at a specific site.
(b)
The monument should not compromise the aesthetic integrity of
the proposed site or interfere or disturb the fabric or character
of the proposed site.
(c)
The location of the monument should complement and enhance existing
and proposed circulation and use patterns.
(d)
Whether alternate sites were considered and determined inappropriate.
(e)
Whether the proposed site affects property listed on the New
Jersey Register of Historic Places.
(f)
If the proposed monument honors, recognizes or is related to
a particular nationality or ethnic heritage, the most appropriate
location shall be presumed to be the section of Caledonia Park, located
at the intersection of High Street and Sadowski Parkway, intended
as an International Park. An applicant seeking an alternate placement
will bear the burden of demonstrating why a different location is
more appropriate.
(2)
Historical and community significance.
(4)
Artistic design.
(a)
The quality, scale, and character of the memorial are at a level
commensurate with the particular location or setting.
(b)
The monument contributes to the public space or site from a
functional or design standpoint.
(c)
The monument reuses, rehabilitates, or restores an existing
feature where appropriate.
(d)
The proposal does not create any public safety or security issues.
D.
If the proposal meets the city's monument acceptance criteria, the proposal shall be submitted to the City Council for its evaluation of the criteria set forth in Subsection C hereof and its decision on approval or disapproval.
(1)
The City Council has the sole authority to accept a monument on behalf
of the City of Perth Amboy. The City Council's decision shall be final.
(2)
The City Council shall accept a monument on behalf of the city by
a resolution adopted by majority vote.
(3)
Upon the City Council's acceptance of a monument and prior to the
commencement of work, the applicant shall enter into a written agreement
with the city to memorialize the terms of the resolution accepting
the monument.
E.
Any monument accepted on behalf of the city shall become the property
of the City of Perth Amboy.
F.
Additional information may be requested of the applicant throughout
the monument acceptance process.
G.
The Mayor and Council may relax any provision of this chapter based
upon demonstrated special circumstances.
