How to Request an Honorary Street Co-Naming in NYC: Brooklyn Community Board 5 Guide
A practical guide for East New York families, block associations, faith institutions, and community organizations seeking to honor a deceased community member through an honorary street co-naming.
1. Start With the Right Type of Request
This guide covers an honorary street co-naming — a commemorative secondary sign posted above or beside the existing street sign. It is not a legal street renaming.
With an honorary co-naming, the legal street name stays exactly as it is. Addresses, deeds, maps, mail delivery, and emergency records are unchanged. Residents and businesses on the block do not have to update anything. A legal street renaming, by contrast, replaces the official name and triggers a broader legal and administrative process. Nearly every commemorative street sign you see in East New York is an honorary co-naming.
Honorary co-namings in New York City honor people who have died. Confirm the honoree meets that requirement, and start conversations with the family early — their support strengthens the application and is expected by most Council offices.
2. What CB5 Requires
Brooklyn Community Board 5 asks applicants to submit the following:
- Completed Brooklyn Community Board 5 street co-naming questionnaire
- Biography of the deceased honoree
- Supporting signatures from neighbors on the affected street or avenue
- Exact proposed location
- Proposed honorary sign name
- Supporting documentation, photos, obituaries, letters, and historical records when available
3. Build a Strong Application
Applications that move quickly tend to arrive complete. Use this as your working file:
- 500–1,000 word biography
- Honoree’s birth and death dates
- Explanation of their East New York / CB5 community connection
- Explanation of why the proposed street location is appropriate
- Family consultation or support statement
- Resident/business petition
- Letters from schools, houses of worship, tenant associations, community groups, nonprofit organizations, or block associations
- Map or photo of the requested intersection or block
- Proposed honorary sign name of 36 characters or fewer, including spaces
4. CB5 Review Process
Applications are submitted to CB5’s Transportation & TLC Committee. The committee generally meets on the third Monday at 6:00 PM, September through June. A proposal is presented publicly, reviewed by the committee, and then considered by the full Community Board.
Committee meetings are public. Bringing family members, neighbors, and representatives from supporting organizations to the presentation is one of the most effective things an applicant can do.
Confirm the current meeting date, location, and submission deadline with the Community Board office before you plan around them — schedules shift, and the board does not typically meet in July and August.
5. What Happens After CB5 Approval
The local Council Member’s office reviews the request and may sponsor its inclusion in a City Council co-naming bill. If enacted and signed by the Mayor, NYC DOT installs the honorary street sign.
City Council co-naming bills typically bundle many designations from across the five boroughs into a single piece of legislation, which is why the wait between Council office review and enactment is often the longest stretch of the process.
6. Expected Timeline
| Stage | Typical duration |
|---|---|
| Application preparation | 1–3 months |
| CB5 committee and board review | 1–3 months |
| Council office review | 1–3 months |
| Waiting for City Council co-naming legislation | Often 3–6 months |
| DOT scheduling / installation / ceremony | About 1–3 months |
| Total planning range | Approximately 6–12 months |
Timing is not guaranteed and can vary based on documentation, Community Board scheduling, Council deadlines, legislation, and DOT installation timing.
7. Downloadable Planning Checklist
Print this page section and work through it as a group. Everything below is what a complete East New York co-naming request usually contains.
Honorary Co-Naming Planning Checklist
East New York Times · Brooklyn Community Board 5
- Honoree’s full name as it should appear on the sign
- Proposed sign name, 36 characters or fewer including spaces
- Birth and death dates confirmed
- 500–1,000 word biography drafted
- Family consulted and supportive
- Exact intersection, block, or street segment identified
- Reason the location is meaningful, written down
- Photo or map of the proposed location
- Neighbor signature petition collected
- Resident and business support gathered
- Letters from schools, houses of worship, or tenant associations
- Letters from block associations or nonprofits
- Obituary, news clippings, and historical records collected
- CB5 street co-naming questionnaire completed
- Full packet copied and submitted to CB5
- Presentation date confirmed with the Transportation & TLC Committee
- Speakers and supporters lined up for the public meeting
- Council Member’s office contacted after board approval
- Copy of the complete packet kept for your records
- Dedication day plan and photo documentation prepared
8. Contact and Official Resources
Brooklyn Community Board 5
Street Co-Naming Application
nyc.gov/site/brooklyncb5 — street co-naming application
East New York Times
Questions, corrections, and archive submissions
info@eastnewyorktimes.com
See who East New York has already honored
The East New York Honorary Street Names archive documents co-namings across East New York and Brooklyn Community Board 5 — and the ones we are still researching.
Explore the Honorary Names Archive