A rose by any other name? Sacramento Zoological Society, Elk Grove clash over naming of unfunded $300 million zoo

A famous line from William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet reads, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet," meaning that no matter what name a rose might have, its essence remains unchanged. While the saying holds, it did nothing to solve the friction between the Montagues and Capulets, and we know how that story ended. 

Much the same can be said following a discussion during the Wednesday, January 22, Elk Grove City Council meeting, which was a hearing on naming the unfunded $300-plus million relocation of the Sacramento Zoo operated by Sacramento Zoological Society.  

During an update on the unfunded Sacramento Zoo relocation project, the Elk Grove City Council took up the thorny issue of naming the zoo. A group of 20, including Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen, City Councilman Rod Brewer, various city staff, SZS representatives, and marketing consultants, came up with the name The Greater Sacramento Zoo at Elk Grove among about 10 possibilities. 

District 1 Councilman Darren Suen opened the city council deliberations and immediately pushed for an alternate name. Suen argued that since Elk Grove taxpayers are the largest benefactors to the SZS and that the facility is in the city, the name Elk Grove should take prominence.  

Suen suggested naming it the Elk Grove Zoo in Greater Sacramento to recognize the city's role in the relocation and expansion of the facility. Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Alle and her city council has committed taxpayers to fund a minimum of $114 million in bonds and others expenditures toward the construction of the first phase of a project that could eventually cost $1 billion.  

"We're relocating it [the zoo] to Elk Grove, we're making a massive, massive investment in the city of Elk Grove on land that we acquired, that we are fundraising for," Suen said. "Having it say Elk Grove Zoo in greater Sacramento is very similar to greater Sacramento Zoo in Elk Grove."  

Elizabeth Stallard, president of the SZS board of trustees, pushed back on Suen saying that prominently placing Elk Grove would hurt fundraising efforts. The SZS needs to raise $50 million in cash before construction can commence, but to date, it has only paid the city $1.9 million. 

"On our side, with respect to the society and the fundraising team, we really believe it has to be Sacramento Zoo at Elk Grove," Ms. Stallard stated.  

After elaborating on the SZS's logic for having Sacramento first and Elk Grove second, Stallard said, "I don't know if that helps.  

Suen quickly replied, "No." 

He went on to imply it was disrespectful to make the Sacramento name dominant over Elk Grove and said, "We are going to give our name away and call it the Sacramento Zoo at Elk Grove, and even the graphic has a tiny little Elk Grove."

Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen agreed with Suen that Elk Grove should dominate Sacramento in naming. She noted that the unfunded project is the largest in the city's history.  

"You convinced me a lot right now," Singh-Allen said to Suen during the lengthy deliberation.   

Councilman Kevin Spease also supported Suen. Like Suen and Singh-Allen, Spease noted the financial commitment placed on Elk Grove taxpayers.   

"The single largest donor to this project is the Elk Grove tax-paying homo sapien," Spease said. "And we need to make sure that their name is accurately reflected in that."

After the deliberations, the city council did not adopt the suggested name. However, it will bring the matter back at the February 12 city council meeting with three naming options.  

That meeting will determine who wins the war - the Montagues, Capulets, or, like in Romeo and Juliet, nobody.