Manhattan Beach to consider changing Sepulveda to PCH

What’s in a name? In Manhattan Beach, where debate over changing the name of Sepulveda Boulevard to Pacific Coast Highway has flared up again, a name apparently means quite a lot.

The city council on Tuesday in a 4-1 vote decided to explore the idea by conducting an exhaustive survey of Sepulveda Boulevard businesses.

Both sections of roadway on either end of the city’s boundary in El Segundo and Hermosa Beach are named Pacific Coast Highway, making the stretch of road in Manhattan Beach somewhat of an island, said Councilmember Richard Montgomery.

Montgomery said he brought the motion forward as a way of responding to many local businesses who have been asking for a name change for as far back as 2008.

“My job as a council member is to listen to my residents many of whom are business owners, including Skechers and Manhattan Village Mall, Gelson’s, Fresh Brothers, and bring the idea forward,” Montgomery said.

In an informal survey by the Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce of about 50 businesses, 3-in-1 supported changing the name, Montgomery said.

Toni Reina with Continental Development, which owns several large properties on Sepulveda, said changing the name will provide consistency with its neighbors.

“It will also provide a benefit through the local businesses with this prestigious name of Pacific Coast Highway,” said Reina, who also pledged to work with other businesses to gather money to pay for new street signs.

The change over, if it does happen, would take up to two years to be phased in, according to city officials.

Councilmember Steve Napolitano was the only vote on Tuesday against exploring the idea.

“Out of the 1,000 things we have to do in Manhattan Beach, this isn’t one of them.  This is a solution in search of a problem,” Napolitano said. “Call me a traditionalist or a contrarian, I don’t really care what the other cities have done.”

As far as the name change having some sort of economic benefit, Napolitano said he wasn’t buying it.

“This idea there is some economic benefit to the use of PCH is totally unproven. There is no evidence that’s been submitted,” he said. “As far as the difficulty of finding it, in these days of Waze and mapping I have yet to find anyone who’s been lost.”

Jan Dennis, who’s written a book on the history of Sepulveda Boulevard, begged the council not to change the name.

“Sepulveda has a rich history,” Dennis said. “In talking to many of these folks, they say absolutely not. It’s ridiculous. The commercial companies don’t live here. They don’t care what the name of the street is.”

Montgomery pointed to the history of the street as detailed in Dennis’ book, “A Thread in the Tapestry.” In it, she reveals the original name until 1932 was El Camino Real.

“The name has not been there forever and it’s not unusual to have a name change,” Montgomery said. “Besides, Sepulveda ranch is in the valley. It’s a name on a sign.”