The City Council and denizens of Robbinsdale have been trying to change the name of Sanborn Park. The Sanborns were landlords who added racial covenants to many properties in Robbinsdale. All seem to agree the park should be renamed, but what should the new name be?
A few names were considered in September: Castile Park and Shoreline Park.
On Sept. 17, after a public hearing, the council decided to table the name change and asked staff to look at the name-changing policy again.
Meanwhile, there were two new submissions. One suggested renaming Sanborn to Philando Castile Park. The other suggested Mendenhall Park, after the late Robbinsdale Schools' band director Robert Mendenhall.
Philando Castile and his mother Valerie Castile both lived in Robbinsdale and both helped feed schoolchildren. During his life, Castile worked in lunchrooms and was known to pay for students' meals from his own pocket.
After Castile was killed by a police officer, Valerie created a foundation in her son's name. Among achievements for the foundation was paying off lunch debts for Robbinsdale Area Schools seniors and advocating for the state legislature to give children free lunches. Castile Park would honor this notable Black family.
Shoreline Park simply takes the name of the adjacent Shoreline Drive.
Per city documents, at the Oct. 8 work session, "there was agreement that there should be a mechanism that starts with the recognition of Council's desire to rename a Park or Facility, and then set a fixed schedule for naming solicitations to advance the process while not creating an undue burden."
On Oct. 15, the council voted to suspend the name-changing policy so it can be rewritten.
Council Member Jason Greenberg said the city should get away from naming parks after people.
Council Member Aaron Wagner indicated he thought parks could be named after people who benefit the community, but would go with the will of the council. Wagner added that if they prohibit people from naming parks after people, "then I think we need to have clear language around parks that are currently named after people, like what we're gonna do about that."
Council Member Mia Parisian said she did not want to stop naming parks after people.
Parisian explained she keeps thinking of the public hearing and the testimony from folks who asked that Sanborn Park be renamed Castile Park. Denying their suggestion and suspending the practice of naming parks after people altogether "could be perceived as reactive and I think in some cases harmful," Parisian said.
Greenberg said he didn't like "comparing people and their merits" to decide how to name a park.
Mayor Bill Blonigan said he tended not to want to name parks after people but could be convinced otherwise. Blonigan suggested they reach out to the city of Roseville, since Roseville recently held a process with public feedback to name Sunset Park.
Blonigan also said he would like the new naming policy to be in place within 90 days of the Mendenhall and Philando Castile Park applications if possible. Prior to suspension, the policy required the City Council to respond to a renaming application within 90 days.
Council Member Regan Murphy moved to suspend the policy and the council approved this 5-0.
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