CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - At the June 10 meeting, the Citrus Heights City Council held a public hearing to consider renaming Sayonara Drive. 

The item was brought forward because the area has undergone a revitalization in recent years. Habitat for Humanity also purchased 26 lots on the street to build affordable homes for local families, with eight already completed. 

City staff conducted outreach to property owners and tenants along Sayonara Drive to gauge the level of support for a name change. Out of 174 mailers, which could be returned or submitted online, 37 responses were received: 25 supported a change (68%), nine opposed it (24%), and three were undecided (8%). 

For those who opposed a name change, they preferred to see the revitalization effort continue to focus on infrastructure, maintenance and enforcement. There were also concerns about the inconvenience of a name change. 

If a name change were approved, eight street signs would have to be replaced, at a total cost to the city of $10,700. 

Councilmember Jayna Karpinski-Costa suggested waiting to consider a name change until all the Habitat for Humanity homes are completed. 

Vice Mayor Porsche Middleton agreed that those new families should have input on the decision. 

During public comments, Citrus Heights resident Kathy Morris said she doesn’t live near Sayonara Drive, but she remembers when that area had a bad reputation in the city. But she said it’s now a wonderful area, and that change is “really something to be proud of.” She preferred to keep the Sayonara name as a reminder that “things can change for the better.”

Michael Gordan with Habitat for Humanity thanked the council for their support throughout this process and said Habitat supports whatever name the council and community decide.  

The council voted unanimously to keep the Sayonara name for now. 

The council also reviewed concept art for a mural at City Hall to honor the United States of America’s 250th anniversary. 

The nonprofit Citrus Heights Art will be installing the mural, supported by $6,000 in Community Support Grant funds from the city. 

Four art concepts were posted online, and more than 800 residents voted for their favorite. 

Vice Mayor Middleton was impressed at the high response level, which showed that the community was excited and engaged in the process. 

The council voted unanimously to approve the residents’ top choice, which received 247 votes. The mural will be completed ahead of the city’s Independence Day event at the end of June. 

The council also considered a request from Citrus Heights Art to amend a different funding allocation of $12,000 from the Non-Profit Community Support Fund (NCSF). 

The original allocation was intended to support ArtBeat, a community event providing arts programming, cultural experiences, and community engagement opportunities for residents. However, with vendor commitments coming in lower than expected for the event, Citrus Heights Arts no longer felt they could deliver the high-level experience they planned. 

Instead, they requested to use the funds to support the Art in City Hall exhibition program scheduled for July, as well as the completion of a community beautification mural project along Auburn Boulevard.

These two projects will transform public spaces through indoor gallery curation and large-scale outdoor public art.

The council voted unanimously to approve the funding reallocation. 

The next meeting of the Citrus Heights City Council is scheduled for June 24.