TITLE
Recommendation to name the park site located at Alamitos Avenue and 7th Street "Robert Gumbiner Park."
DISCUSSION
On March 11, 2014, (former) Vice Mayor Robert Garcia requested that the Mayor and Members of the City Council refer to the Parks and Recreation Commission a request to designate the park site at Alamitos Avenue and 7th Street (Attachment - Site Map) as "Robert Gumbiner Park." The Parks and Recreation Commission considered this request at their December 18, 2014 meeting and unanimously supported the proposed name.
The Administrative Regulation AR 8-7 applies to the naming of all public land, buildings and facilities. AR 8-7 provides several policies to guide the consideration of a naming request. The following are those policies:
• The name should incorporate Long Beach whenever important for civic recognition or identification;
• A name in honor of a recognized geographic area, a topographic feature or a historically significant event may be appropriate;
• A name in honor of persons or families who have donated the land or a substantial portion of the improvement costs may be appropriate when applicable;
• A name in honor of a person or persons who have served the nation, the State of California, and/or the City of Long Beach in an exceptional or distinguished manner may be appropriate if warranted by service of major significance;
• A name in honor of a living person, or of a deceased person within one year of their death, is not appropriate unless the significance of that person's contribution is worthy of an exception to the policy;
• A name in honor of a person is not appropriate when a name in honor of another person has been given to the same site, building or facility in the past;
• A name in honor of a person is not appropriate if that person have been overly recognized in the past; and,
• A name may be selected through a competition or a contest.
In accordance with this regulation, the name recommended to the Parks and Recreation Commission, Robert Gumbiner Park, denotes the name of an individual, Dr. Robert Gumbiner, who has served the City of Long Beach with distinction. In 2013, after many years of public meetings and discussions, the community came together to formulate a name that would reflect this area of world class art, while also honoring someone that contributed so much to the local neighborhood vibrancy. The name reflects on the diverse legacy of Dr. Robert Gumbiner and his commitment to the promotion of ethnic art in Long Beach. Robert Gumbiner Park will be anchored by the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA), which he founded and established, and the other side of the park will be anchored by the Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum, which Dr. Gumbiner also championed. Both museums will each be donating two pieces of art for the park. Mayor Robert Garcia, then Council member for the First District, helped to lead the overall efforts.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action on this item is not time critical.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact with the recommended action.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
DEE ANDREWS
COUNCILMAN, SIXTH DISTRICT, CHAIR;
HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOODS COMMITTEE