Huntington Beach seeks input as it plans to officially name Central Park area

The area of Huntington Beach Central Park East sits above the wooden amphitheater and below the Adventure Playground, which reopened last weekend.

Steve Engel, a volunteer with the Huntington Beach Tree Society, talks with pride about the progress made in that open space in recent years. A restroom located there was moved and boulders were placed, along with 10 Torrey pine trees as part of the “50 Trees for 50 Years” campaign for Central Park’s 50th anniversary this year.

“I see people doing tai chi up there, they walk their dogs up there, I see people playing badminton,” Engel said. “It’s a much better, nicer area now, and we want it to stay that way.”

Now, Huntington Beach is asking for input on the naming of the area, which Engel and others fondly refer to as the “nature plateau.”

The Community & Library Services Commission’s Park Naming & Memorials Committee has a survey online that interested parties can fill out, giving their name suggestions for the space. The committee will meet on Friday at 3 p.m. at City Hall, room B-8 to discuss the project and names for consideration.

Options include naming it the Huntington Central Park Nature Plateau, or naming it after a person, place or thing of significant importance to the community of Huntington Beach.

Sunshine peeks through the trees in Huntington Central Park on Monday morning.

(Courtesy of Steve Engel)

Chris Cole, the facilities and development manager for Community & Library Services, said that Friday’s meeting will be more of a study session.

“We’re going to let the commissioners know the history of that area of the park, the work that went into it with the volunteers,” Cole said. “We’ll be reviewing the process with them, but they won’t be making a selection at that time.”

Cole said the city would like to give the public a bit more time to participate in the process. The ad hoc committee would bring a name recommendation to the full commission, which would then vote and bring a recommendation to the City Council.

“We really love it when we get a lot of people interested in participating,” Cole said. “I think personally, people feel like it gives them a sense of ownership in a way with the park. So yeah, the more the merrier when it comes to these types of things.”

Commissioners Lolly McHardy, Laura Costelloe and Lisa-Lane Barnes make up the ad hoc naming committee.