Background.

Honorary street signs provide an opportunity to posthumously recognize former Westchester residents who have made significant contributions to the Village, State of Illinois, or United States of America. The honorary street name identifies a certain portion of a Westchester street with an individual name in honor of that person. The honorary street name supplements the permanent street name and does not change the permanent street name designation nor does it require residents and businesses fronting on the street to change their address. .

Application.

(a) Persons or organizations proposing an honorary street name for a street located within the Village shall complete and submit an application (Exhibit A) therefore to the Village Clerk. An application proposing an honorary street name shall include the following: 

1. The signature of a Trustee or the Village President endorsing the application and the proposed honorary street name. 
2. A petition signed by not less than two-thirds (2/3) of the property owners abutting the street proposed for the honorary street name stating the property owners' support for the proposed honorary street name. 
3. A statement explaining how the individual proposed to be honored with an honorary street name qualifies under the guidelines of this policy. 

(b) Applications for honorary street names shall be distributed to the public works department to start a 30-day review process to ensure sufficient documentation exists to evaluate the request and the location desired for the honorary street designation. The recommendations of the public works department shall be forwarded to the Board of Trustees for final action. 

(c) Those streets which have been designated honorary prior to the effective date of this ordinance shall be authorized to continue with that designation notwithstanding the Guidelines set forth herein, but for subsection (f). 

Guidelines.

Honorary street names shall meet the following standards: 

(a) The individual proposed to be honored with an honorary street name must have resided or worked in Westchester for at least 25 years during their lifetime and must have made significant and long-term contributions through cultural, humanitarian, historic or military achievement. 

(b) There shall be a clear geographical relationship to the street and the nominee. 

(c) The location for honorary street names shall be restricted to nonarterial streets.Reserved

(d) The proposed honorary street name shall not duplicate any existing name or be similar either phonetically or in spelling to any other honorary or actual street name. 

(e) An honorary street name shall be applied throughout the entire length of the subject street, except where impractical and in such instance shall be applied to the section of a street designated in the ordinance approving the honorary street name. 

(f) A designation of an honorary street name shall not exceed ten (10) years, provided, however, the time period for a designation of an honorary street name may be extended for an additional time period not to exceed an additional ten (10) years upon an application for such an extension. An application for the extension of the time period for a designation of an honorary street name shall be filed and processed pursuant to the same procedures and standards provided for an original designation in this chapter. At the end of the time period of the designation of an honorary street name, the Village will remove the honorary street sign and make it available to the applicant. Those streets which have been designated honorary prior to the effective date of this ordinance shall be deemed to have been designated on the effective date of this ordinance and the first ten- year period shall commence on that date. 

(g) Honorary street name signs will be distinctive in size and color from the official street name sign and will be installed below the official street name sign. The applicant will be responsible for the cost of the materials and installation of the honorary street sign. 

Approval or Denial.
 

Any decision to enact a proposed honorary street name shall be made by the Board of Trustees.

Application
Download the Petition and Signature page, once completed fill out the online form below and upload the Petition and Signature page.

Honorary Street Application PDF (If you don't want to submit the online form below)