OCEANSIDE — The city will no longer name or rename parks and city facilities after people or groups under a policy change unanimously approved by the City Council on Sept. 2.
The staff-recommended change eliminates a provision allowing such names under extraordinary circumstances.
The city established its naming policy in 2003, around the time it renamed two parks to honor individuals. The policy outlined three naming categories, in order of preference: geographic location; other considerations, such as topography, plants, or cultural or historical features; and extraordinary circumstances allowing facilities to be named after a person or group.
Several parks and facilities were named or renamed under the third category based on one of the following criteria:
- A person’s contributions to the city through service or donations.
- A person’s lifelong contributions to the city’s quality of life, provided the person was at least 65.
- Posthumous recognition of someone who had been dead for at least two years.
- Contributions by a person or group covering at least 60% of a facility’s development or maintenance costs, along with an agreement to pay for installing a plaque.
According to staff, no parks or facilities have been named through a fundraising campaign. The city also has not recovered the costs of purchasing and installing plaques or monuments when it renamed existing facilities.
Each April, staff asks the City Council for a list of facilities eligible for naming. Cesar Chavez Park was among those identified for renaming this year following a New York Times investigation that detailed allegations of sexual abuse and rape against the late civil rights and labor leader, who died in 1993.
Eliminating the “extraordinary circumstances” category prohibits naming parks or city facilities after people or groups.
The changes also eliminate the option to rename tennis, basketball and volleyball courts, gazebos and meeting rooms. Instead, renaming efforts will focus on parks, recreation centers, community centers, trails, beach property, skate parks and sports complexes.
Staff expects fewer requests to rename existing parks or facilities under the new rules.
“I like the idea of slowing it down,” Mayor Esther Sanchez said, noting her preference for naming parks after geographic locations.
Sanchez said the volume of requests to name parks after people makes it difficult for the city to choose whom to honor.
“You want to honor all these folks, but in terms of naming a park or facility, it becomes extremely difficult,” she said.
The changes do not prevent the Parks and Recreation Department from honoring people and groups through memorial benches or similar programs.
