ENCINITAS — A special joint meeting between the Encinitas City Council and the Parks and Recreation Commission on Wednesday focused on renaming Surfer’s Point, a 1.43-acre property at the northeast corner of Coast Highway 101 and La Costa Avenue.
The city purchased the land known as Surfer’s Point and “Hippie Hill” for $6 million in 2023. However, the previous landowner has trademarked the name Surfer’s Point and requested that it not be used.
During the meeting, several speakers from the local Indigenous community called for the land to be named Panáa’o, a historically significant term in the Payómkawichum culture.
Alexis Munoa Dyer, a member of the Toshiba Clan of the Pechanga Band of Indians in the greater Payómkawichum nation, highlighted the need for cultural preservation and tribal stewardship of the land adjacent to Batiquitos Lagoon and Ponto State Beach.
“The land already has a name: Panáa’o,” Dyer said during public comment. “This is a place of Payómkawichum and Kumeyaay shared lands, a place for gathering of not only people, but also plants and more; a place our tribes have protected since time immemorial.”
Dyer also urged the council to consider land co-management, a practice that would allow Indigenous tribes to work alongside the city in preserving the area’s ecological and cultural significance.
“Traditional ecological knowledge is vital to the air, water, plants, animals and people’s survival,” she said, advocating for conservation efforts led by tribal communities.
Several speakers echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing the importance of restoring indigenous land management practices and ensuring the area remains accessible for cultural and ceremonial purposes.
“We have the opportunity here to take a small step toward this sort of authenticity and connection and to be a good example for our children and all future stewards of this land,” said Heidi Ledger, a local business owner.
Councilmember Joy Lyndes supported the idea of partnering with local tribes and stressed the importance of public outreach to facilitate broader engagement.
“I’m really leaning, and I have been for quite a while, towards this property as the perfect place for us to have a traditional cultural property partnership with the Indigenous people who have lived here and their ancestors who have lived here,” Lyndes said.
In addition to naming the property, the council is also exploring ways to integrate the site’s millennia-old indigenous history into its future use. Mayor Tony Kranz emphasized that the city should work toward creating a name that honors this long-standing heritage.
“What we call it is important to some people,” Kranz said. “There’s no question that we can come up with something that I think addresses the requests that were made to try and lean towards a Native American name and give this place a formal title.”
The City Council voted unanimously, with Councilmember Kellie Hinze absent, to task the Parks and Recreation Commission with updating its work plan to include recommendations for the property’s name and uses, with a focus on giving the site a tribal name.
The land is located near sensitive wetlands and falls under several zoning restrictions, which means any future development is expected to be minimal and focused on passive uses, such as walking paths and viewpoint areas.
Tribal representatives have suggested using the land for cultural gatherings, ceremonies, and the harvesting of native plants.
As the city moves forward with the project, Dyer urged continued collaboration with Indigenous groups.
“I would love to see the City Council invite all tribal councils of the Kumeyaay and Payómkawichum nations to the site for talks on what the name should be and how we can implement co-management to preserve and restore the balance of this habitat,” she said.
