SR-02-12-2013-8AID
City Council Report
City of
Santa Dfonied
City Council Meeting: February 12, 2013
Agenda Item: 8 -A
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Karen Ginsberg, Director, Community and Cultural Services
Subject: Naming of the New Santa Monica Civic Center Park
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the Council review the results of public input on a short -list of
possible park names, consider names suggested by the public, and select a final name
for the new Civic Center park currently known as Palisades Garden Walk.
Executive Summary
The Civic Center park currently known as Palisades Garden Walk is under construction
and in need of a permanent name. During the October-2._2012 City Council meeting,
Council reviewed public input, staff and Commission recommendations on possible
names and discussed options. Council developed a short list of possible names and
asked staff to seek further public input and return to the Council.
Using a range of outreach methods staff gathered input from 550 community members
regarding the Council's suggested short list (Arroyo Park or Santa Monica Arroyo Park;
Tongva Park or Santa Monica Tongva Park; Parque del Sol; and Santa Monica
Commons). Respondents also had the ability to recommend alternatives by indicating
"other" on the survey instrument. This input did not reveal a single clear preference for a
name.
Based on public input, staff suggests that since none of the short - listed names is
preferred, consideration should be given to retaining the name Palisades Garden Walk
for this park.
Background
The City Council adopted a policy for naming City -owned land, buildings and facilities
on JLJ1V 9,. 22002 which established formal guidelines and a procedure for considering
appropriate names.
During a number of well- attended public workshops on the design of the park held in
late 2010 and early 2011, participants were asked to recommend names and also react
to the list of recommended names. The words "Arroyo ", "Ocean" and "Gardens" were
often used. There were a number of suggestions for naming the park after Arcadia
Bandini Sterns deBaker, the great benefactress of Santa Monica. Top preferences
were for "Arcadia Park," "Arroyo Gardens," "Arroyo Park," "Civic Ocean Park," "Ocean
Garden Walk," "Palisades Garden Walk," "Santa Monica Central Park," and "Santa
Monica Garden Park."
The project team (Community and Cultural Services, Public Works, and Planning and
Community Development staff members along with designers from James Corner Field
Operations) discussed many options, but reached consensus on the name "Santa
Monica Arroyo Park" which was forwarded to Council in October 2012 as the staff
recommendation.
On 1,gnuary _19_2012, the Recreation and Parks Commission adopted a motion
recommending that the park be named "Santa Monica Commons." Additionally, the
Commission recommended that in recognition of the historical significance of the land
and history of the community, the area currently known as "Observation Hill" be
renamed "Tongva Hill" and that an appropriate area of the park be identified in honor of
the Belmar Triangle Neighborhood. Subsequent to their action, the Commission learned
that the affordable housing component of The Village will be called the Belmar
Apartments and that the Belmar Triangle Neighborhood was located on the Civic
Auditorium block.
The Landmarks Commission during its meeting on March _i2_2012 adopted a motion to
support the recommendations made by the Recreation and Parks Commission.
The above recommendations with detailed attachments were presented to Council on
October, 2, 2012. Council discussed options and narrowed the list of possible names to
a short -list which included: Arroyo Park or Santa Monica Arroyo Park; Tongva Park or
Santa Monica Tongva Park; Parque del Sol; and Santa Monica Commons. Council
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directed staff to seek public feedback on these names or variations of these names and
call for additional names to be solicited. Information on the history of the Tongva was
also requested.
Discussion
To gather public input, staff created a survey with the short- listed names and an) option
for "Other" for variations on the names and new suggestions (Attachment -A). The
survey was placed on the City's web page and the project web page for the month of
November. In- person outreach was conducted at the Pier Open House on October 27,
2012; at all three 2012 Santa Monica Talk events on November 10th, 12th and 15th; at
the Virginia Avenue Park, Main Street and Downtown Farmers' Markets in November;
and at the Main Library on December 2, 2012. 550 surveys were completed. In
completing the survey community members submitted 166 suggestions for alternative
park names other than those identified below. Of the input received 291 people (53 %)
gave a Santa Monica zip code, 149 people (27 %) provided a zip code outside of Santa
Monica and 110 people (20 %) provided no zip code.
Input Received
By Location
Arroyo
Tongva
Parque
Commons
Other
Total
Pier Open House
3
8
1
10
12
34
Santa Monica Talks
6
10
3
10
24
53
Virginia Avenue Park Farmers' Market
22
12
18
13
21
86
Main Street Farmers' Market
22
17
23
16
10
88
Downtown (Wed) Farmers' Market
5
7
5
15
17
49
Main Library
18
10
21
21
17
87
On -Line
14
64
9
26
40
153
Total
90
128
80
111
141
550
Public input shows that none of the short- listed names resonated loudly with the
majority of participants. Members of the public most often selected "Other" and either
went on to submit their own suggestion (see list of suggested names on Attachment 3)
or went no further. Tongva Park or Santa Monica Tongva Park received support, with a
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large portion of this support coming from the on -line survey rather than through in-
person outreach at venues which was a more random sampling. Santa Monica
Commons also received support with many respondents suggesting that "Common" be
used in place of "Commons" as in "Boston Common."
Since none of the short list of park names garnered clear support in relation to each
other and other suggestions, staff believes that there is merit to returning to the name
"Palisades Garden Walk." This name emerged during the Civic Center Specific Plan
process adopted in 2005 which included the following description for the park
OS 3. CFe atv a arc w yutrk at the northwesteivi portal to the Civic
Center; A six -acre park — Palisades Garden Walk — is envisioned
as an imptwTant gateway into cbe area, creating a strong linkage to
Palisades Park. It plays an important cultural role within the com-
ttauatity, while at the same time Leconting a place for informal play,
picnicking, strolling, jogging, sitting and viewing;. The park builds
on the idemity of Palisades Park through inteaprctins, landscape
characteristic- of southern California coastal bluffs and arroyos, con -
tra.xtitag open lawns, and organiaedpedestrianpathways, Palisades
Garden 1, Valk also adds layers of new meaning and identity to the
area through ehanents sucl'a as ir_Fre_ >raated public art, heorticulturrrl
exhibits. commemorative elemd2ms, and a creative contouring; of
landEorm.
The park design embodies this description. Furthermore, the park was recently
designated by City Council as a Botan catCarden because its design emphasizes
native, locally adapted and extraordinary plantings. Therefore, establishing Palisades
Garden Walk as the permanent name for the park would be reasonable and enduring.
Cf
Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
There is no budgetary impact to this policy decision. The cost to incorporate the
permanent park names into the new park signage was included in W.E. O'Neil
Construction Company's contract to design and build these new parks.
Prepared by: Julie Silliman, Community and Cultural Services
Approved:
Karen Ginsberg
Director, Community & Cu ral _Ser ices
Attachment A: Survey
Attachment B: Name Suggestions
Attachment C: Tongva
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Forwarded to Council:
Rod Gould
City Manager
Attachment A: Survey
Which of these would you like to see as the PARK'S name? Use OTHER for variations
or combinations of these names or other ideas.
❑ ARROYO PARK or SANTA MONICA ARROYO PARK
In honor of the park's design theme - an Arroyo is a wash, dry creek or stream bed
gulch that temporarily or seasonally fills and flows after sufficient rain.
❑ TONGVA PARK or SANTA MONICA TONGVA PARK
The Tongva, also referred to as the Gabrieleno, are an indigenous people whose
traditional territory is in present -day Los Angeles and surrounding regions. Santa
Monica may have been named by Father Juan Crespi after the Tongva's
Kuruvungna Springs which the Spanish named "Las Lagrimas de Santa Monica" or
"The Tears of St. Monica."
❑ PARQUE DEL SOL
Spanish for "Park of the Sun"
❑ SANTA MONICA COMMONS
Pertaining or belonging equally to the
the nation's oldest park.
entire community ... as in Boston Common,
❑ OTHER - A variation of the above, or another
suggestion for a park name.
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Attachment B: Name Suggestions
Abraham Park
Angel's Park
Arcadia Bandini Park
Arcadia Park (after Arcadia Bandini)
Arroyo Commons
Attention Park
Baker or Jones Park
Name after the senator or citizen that had the
foresight to donate land for Palisades Park.
Ballona Park
Bandini Park
Bay City Park
Belmont Triangle Park
Big Wow Park
Bird's Nest Park
Bliss Field by the Beach
Bluebird Park
Center of Wellbeing
Central Park
Central Park West
Chicken Park
Cho -Cho Park (Butterfly in Japanese)
City Hall Park
City Park
Civic Center Park
Civic Park
Del Mar Park
Discovery Park
Dolphin Park
Dolphin Tale
Douglas Park
Dream Weavers Park
Dry Creek Park
El Paraiso Terrenal (Heaven on Earth)
Elseildor Park
Endless Summer Garden
Esplanade Park
Family Park
Frank Schwengel Park
Fresh Air Park
Fun Park
Gabrieleno Park
Garden Park
Gardens at the Pier
Gateway Park
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Harbor Park
Heritage Park
Holiday Park
Jewel of Santa Monica
Kecheek Park (The Tongva called Santa
Monica "Kecheek ")
La Puerta Del Cielo (Heaven's Gate)
Laurel Garden
Lincoln Park
Los Arroyos (no "park" - so it's more easily
said and understood and gets away from the
generic "park" name. "Meet you at Los Arroyos"
sounds cooler than "Meet you at Arroyo Park. ")
Main Park
Main St Park
Memorial Park
Metro - opolis
Mira del Mar (Look at the Ocean)
Miramar
Momajita Parque
Monica Park
Moomat Park
Ocean Bluff Park
Ocean Breeze Park
Ocean Park
Ocean View Park
Pacific Ocean View Park
Pacific Ocean View Park of Santa
Monica
Pacific Park
Palisades Garden Park
Palisades Garden Walk
Paradise Park
Park at the Pier
Park for all
Park of Peace
Parque Bliss del Mar
Parque del Mar Vista
Parque del Pueblo
Parque Mia
Peach Love
People's Garden
People's Park
Physis Park (Greek for Nature)
Pier Park
Pierce Park
Pioneer Park
Planetarium of Eden
Poseidon Park
Puebla del Sol Park (City of the Sun Park)
Puebla Park
Rainbow Park
Rancho Santa Monica
Rosabell Park
Salaria Park
Sandcastle Park
Santa Monica Central Gardens
Santa Monica Central Park
Santa Monica Civic Center Park
Santa Monica Civic Park
Santa Monica Common.... no "S"
Santa Monica Garden of Eden Center
Santa Monica Garden Walk
Santa Monica Glades
Santa Monica Nature Walk
Santa Monica Ocean Park
Santa Monica Ocean View Park
Santa Monica Paradise Park
Santa Monica Sliders
Santa Monica View Park
Scrub Jay Park
Sea View Park
Seascape Park
Seaside Park
F,
Shark Park
Slide Park
Spaceship Adventure Fun Park
St. Augustine Public Park
Sunny Park
Sunrise Horizon Community Park
Sunset Beach Park
Sunshine Park
The Beautiful Garden Park
The Big Green
The Big Green Park
The Edge
The Falls Park
The Garden Park
The Main Park
The Mecca
The New Bum Park
The New Life Park
The Shire
The Tongva Commons
Tongva Arroyo
Tongva Tribe Park
Vahedi Park
Village Park
Water World Park
Wonderful Waterfalls Park
Attachment C: TONGVA*
Long before Spanish explorers set foot on California's shore, what is now Santa
Monica, Los Angeles and parts of Orange County were occupied by the Tongva, later
called the Gabrielino. The Portola expedition from Spain passed through Santa Monica
in 1769 as described in Father Crespi's diary. The area at that time had flourishing
villages like the one depicted below. The Tongva, which means "People of the Earth,"
greeted the explorers with food and drinks, as was documented by Father Crespi.
About the Tongva People
The Tongva people, also referred to as the Gabrielino, are a historic Native
American people who for thousands of years have inhabited an area in the present -
day Los Angeles basin and extending to northern Orange County, a portion of Riverside
and San Bernardino Counties, up to the San Gabriel Mountains and out to four of the
Channel islands. Currently there are an estimated 1,500 people self- identifying as
members of the tribe. The name Gabrielino is in reference to the Mission San Gabriel
Arcangel set up by the Spanish colonists in 1771 as they forcibly dissolved the villages
and rounded up the Tongva to serve as a labor force for the construction of the Spanish
missions.
"wiyot's Children" by Mary Leighton Thomson depicts Sa'angna, the Tongva village that was
located where Playa del Rey, California now sits.
The Tongva were a sea faring people and the tradition is being revived. Moomat Ahiko,
a street in Santa Monica adjacent to the new park, means "Breath of the Ocean" in the
Tongva language and is also the name of one of the Ti'ats, or canoes, that
contemporary Tongva people built 13 years ago. Along with the Chumash (their
neighbors to the north and west) and other tribes along the Pacific coast, the Tongva
built these seaworthy canoes. To build these Vats, they used planks that were sewn
together, edge to edge, and then caulked and coated with a mixture of
pine pitch and asphaltum. The Vat could hold as many as 12 people, their gear and the
trade goods which they carried to trade with other people along the coast or on
the Channel Islands.
Tongva villages that continue to carry the Tongva names that we are familiar with today
include Pacoima, Tujunga, Topanga, Rancho Cucamonga, Azusa, and the Cahuenga
Pass.
Map from the Gabrielino /Tongva tribe web site
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History of Santa Monica
Pre - history - Santa Monica was long inhabited by the Tongva people. Santa Monica
was called Kecheek in the Tongva language.
1760s - The first Caucasian group to set foot in the area was the party of explorer
Gaspar de Portola, who camped near present day Wilshire Boulevard on August 3,
1769.
Naming of Santa Monica - There are two different versions of the naming of Santa
Monica. One says that it was named in honor of the feast day of Saint Monica (mother
of Saint Augustine), while the other says that it was named by Father Juan Crespi on
account of a dripping springs, the Serra Springs, that was reminiscent of the tears
that Saint Monica shed over her son's early impiety. Regarding the latter, one of the
padres noted in his diary that the group found Kuruvungna Springs (a Tongva springs
where University High School is today and which translates to "Place Where We are in
the Sun "). They re -named it "Springs of Saint Monica" to recall the tears that St. Monica
shed for her reckless son, Augustine. As recorded in his diary, Crespf actually named
the place San Gregorio. What is known for certain is that by the 1820s, the name Santa
Monica was in use and its first official mention occurred in 1827 in the form of a grazing
permit. In the 1800s, the springs served as the water supply for the city of Santa Monica.
This spring remains sacred to the Natives Americans in the area and is the site of a
cultural center and museum run by the Gabrielino Tongva Springs Foundation.
iil
Using the 2002 Council adopted polisyfor naming Cily-
owned land, balldingc and fncililies, CCS sough:
11 suggestions during two of the well - attended
park design Community Workshops and launched
on -line survey questiam for the general public to
provide input
Asked the project team (staff and James Corner
Reid Operations design team) for its
re...... Matter,
a Obtained recommendations from the Recreation and
Park. Commision and Landmarks Commission.
Commissions supported "Same Monica Common'
and recommended naming areas within the park (i.e.,
'Tongvo Hill ").
_ On October 2, 2012, Council revievred the
remmmendaficns, developed a r1mr 61 of possible
names, and asked staff to seek additional public
Inpm and name ideas.
Me
t
2/12/2013
BEFORE October 2012 Council Meeting
(top names clustered):
c: Arroyo Park, Arroyo Gardens, or
Arroyo Gardens Park
Civic Ocean Park or Civic Pacific Park
Arcadia Park, Arcadia Bandini Park,
or Bandim Park
Palisades Garden Walk or Palisades
Garden
Santa Monica Garden Park
!�. Ocean Garden Walk or Ocean
Garden Park
c Soma Monica Central Park
- -= Santa Monica Park
The Arroyo
Santa Monica Center or The Center
AFTER October 2012 Council Meeting
(top names clustered):
-- Tongva Park or SM Tongva Park
Santa Monica Commons or Common
Arroyo Park, or SM At Park
Parque del Sol
Ocean View Park, SM Ocean Vfew Park
or Pacific View Park
Central Park, SM Central Park, or SM
Central Gardens
Civic Park, SM Civic Park or SM Clvic
Center Park
> Palisades Garden Walk or SM Garden
Wail: or Garden Park
Arcadia Bandini Park, Bandfni Park or
Arcadia Park
2/12/2013
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