Santa Maria city leaders are considering renaming Cesar E. Chavez Drive after recent reports detailing sexual abuse allegations against the late farm labor rights activist.
Cesar Chavez organized farm workers across California, including in Santa Maria and on the Central Coast during the 1960s and 70s. An image from the Santa Maria Valley Historical Society shows him in the area, though the exact date is unknown. In recent days, Chavez's legacy has faced scrutiny due to the allegations.
Alexis Avila Ramirez, who lives on Cesar E. Chavez Drive, shared her thoughts on the potential name change.
"I think for me personally, it's not like I'm really attached to the name or anything, so if it was to change, it wouldn't really affect me at all," she said. "I think initially it'll probably be a struggle, but then after a while you'll probably remember the name or something."
Others who have lived on the street for years say the adjustment could be much harder.
"It's going to be something really difficult if Cesar Chavez changes, right? 15 years with the same address," Lorena Lolzagaste said. "The truth is it's going to be something very difficult for the first months."
Santa Maria Public Works Director Brett Fulgoni says a street name change goes far beyond the physical sign.
"You have emergency services, you have the post office, you know, everybody's bills are going to need to change. They're gonna need to change their official address," Fulgoni said.
Lolzagaste echoed those concerns.
"I think in the beginning months there will be a lot of conflict, a lot of chaos, because emergency services may not get here on time," Lolzagaste said.
Fulgoni says safety is the department's top priority during a transition.
"Any time we change a name, we need to make sure that everybody's aware of it," Fulgoni said. "So that when somebody calls an ambulance, or somebody calls 911 or police or what have you, that they know where to go."
Because of these safety concerns, the city cannot simply remove the current street signs immediately.
"People may wonder, hey, how come we can't just go out there and pull the sign down or change the name? What's the big deal?" Fulgoni said. "It's because there's a lot of information that's based on that signing system. There's a lot of people that rely on that to make sure that you're safe."
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The city has not handled a change like this before for a street with existing homes and businesses. Fulgoni says the city typically names a road when a subdivision is built and never changes it. The city previously renamed a street to Dan Blough Drive, but it was a new development with no existing addresses.
"I can't think of a case where we have actually outright changed the name with existing residences and businesses," Fulgoni said.
If the name change is approved, the physical change would cost a few thousand dollars for materials and staff time, as the city utilizes its own sign shop. However, the administrative side requires coordination across multiple agencies.
Fulgoni says notifying the U.S. Postal Service only takes a day or two, but working with emergency medical services and other departments takes more time.
"It's probably going to be a 30 to 60-day process before everything is fully implemented," Fulgoni said.
If the council approves the change, the Public Works Department will send letters to affected residents to establish a timeline. Fulgoni encourages residents to contact the department directly so their personal business timelines align with the official change.
The Santa Maria City Council is set to discuss the issue at its April 7 meeting. Any decision would require council approval before moving forward.
