Tuesday, June 21st, the City Council will be holding a hearing to consider our petition to change the name of the Columbus Delta.
The hearing will start at 6:00 P.M. in the City Council chambers and there will also be virtual access (check https://www.watertown-ma.gov/350/City-Council the day of the hearing for the virtual link). Mishy Lesser will provide an opening statement to frame the rationale for the request and then any citizen can comment for up to two minutes. Once all comments have been heard, the City Council will vote on the petition.
Here is the text of the petition that over 180 Watertown residents signed to initiate this hearing:
We, the undersigned, petition the Town Council to begin a process of reconsidering the name of the delta in Watertown Square, presently called the Columbus Delta. Our hope is that this process will generate a new name that is more inclusive of all members of our community and the history of the place we now call home.
Eighty years ago, members of Town Meeting named the delta. Today, it is the public meeting place where hundreds of diverse neighbors often gather for a variety of reasons. Resolution # 85, Naming Policy For Squares Or Intersections For Non-veterans, adopted on October 22, 2019 by the Town Council, states that:
“the Town Council understands that said naming may have long-lasting effects and will span future generations whose perceptions and values might change.”
As per the stated resolution, “The Town Council shall have sole authority to remove the naming of any Square or Intersection if, with the passage of time, it determines the public interest is no longer being served.”
It is our wish as citizens and neighbors for the delta to be renamed so it becomes more welcoming of all members of our community and better reflects the history of the place we now call home. As such, we ask the Watertown Town Council to initiate the process for a change in the naming of the delta in Watertown Square.
Please share this call to action with other Watertown residents who support our efforts to make the delta a space where all people feel welcome and join us on June 21st at 6:00 PM in the City Council chambers to add your voice to our request. Thank you!