DATE: November 18, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Parks and Recreation Department
TITLE: SELECTION OF A NAME FOR THE FORMER CESAR CHAVEZ PARK AT CROWN HEIGHTS
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommends the City Council rename the former Cesar Chavez park at Crown Heights (as Crown Heights Park or La Corona Park) based on community input in accordance with the City Council action taken on April 8, 2026.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
On May 21, 2003, the City Council adopted City Council Policy 100-55: “Policies and Procedures for Naming and Dedicating City Facilities.” City Council Policy 100-55 provides a timeline, procedures, and priority categories for the naming of facilities. The timeline states that in April of each year, the City Council must first designate facilities for which they will consider applications for renaming.
On April 8, 2026, City Council waived the investigation and hearing requirements in Council Policy 100-55 and designated the former Cesar Chavez Park (the “Park”) in the Crown Heights community for renaming. City Council waived specified requirements in Council Policy 100-55 to expedite the naming and renaming process. Staff from the Parks and Recreation Department was directed to designate the Park for renaming and to direct staff to have community meetings with the process being a collaboration between the Parks and Recreation Department and Housing and Neighborhood Services Department. City Council directed staff to present the top two or three options selected by the Crown Heights community directly to City Council without action from the Parks and Recreation Commission.
On September 2, 2026, City Council took formal action to amend Council Policy 100-55 for the naming of parks pursuant to the following guidelines: geographic location; other considerations such as prominent form or topography, floral, and relevant cultural or historical features; or themes, activities, cultural, or historical contributions. Parks will no longer be named after individuals or groups.
To gather community input, staff solicited ideas for names or themes during the Día del Niño event held in April at the Park. Additionally, a flyer with a QR code directing the community to an on-line survey was posted at the Park and provided to community stakeholders for distribution to community. On May 7, staff presented the process for renaming the Park at the Crown Heights Community meeting and also solicited in-person and electronic feedback. On May 14, staff hosted a Coffee in the Park at the Park to gather additional input from the community. Because it is officially designated as a Neighborhood Park, staff focused its outreach efforts to the core visitors of the Park and residents of the Crown Heights community.
As a result of the collaborative outreach efforts by the Parks and Recreation and Housing and Neighborhood Services Department staff to solicit community input, the top two names received were Crown Heights Park and La Corona Park. Both of the names qualify under Naming Guidelines Preference A of the Council Policy, which identifies that whenever possible, all City facilities will be named for their geographic location.
FISCAL IMPACT
There will be an undetermined cost to install a sign but it’s expected to be covered by existing budget allocations.
COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE REPORT
At the May 12, 2026 regularly scheduled meeting, staff advised the Commission that City Council approved a change to the standard naming process, and that the renaming of the park at Crown Heights would be presented directly to City Council without being presented as an action item to the Commission. At the November 9 meeting, staff advised the Commission of the top two names that would be presented to City Council for consideration.
CITY ATTORNEY’S ANALYSIS
City Attorney analysis does not apply.
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Prepared by: Manuel Gonzalez, Parks and Recreation Director
Reviewed by: Rob O’Brien, Deputy City Manager
Submitted by: Jonathan Borrego, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
1. City Council Policy 100-55