Name change would affect hundreds of area residents
Hundreds of residents who live on portion of Ocean Avenue may soon have to order new address labels.
The Santa Monica City Council will review a proposal tonight that suggests a section of Ocean Avenue between Hollister Avenue, Pico Boulevard and Neilson Way should be changed to Barnard Way.
“It’s pretty confusing for people in that area,” said city engineer Tony Antich. “This would make it continuous.”
Ocean Avenue runs from the northern city limits to Pico Boulevard, where it veers toward the Pacific Ocean and continues to Hollister Avenue. Traveling south of Pico Boulevard on Ocean Avenue past Hollister Avenue the street name suddenly changes to Barnard Way.
City staff believes that it may be less confusing for residents and visitors if the entire street from Pico Boulevard to the southern city limit had the same name, Barnard Way.
The name change would affect nine apartment buildings, one single-family home and the Bayside Motel.
The city council in 1966 honored former mayor Benjamin Barnard by renaming “The Speedway” and a portion of Ocean Avenue to Barnard Way. Within a couple of months, the council changed its decision and the Ocean Avenue portion was reinstated. Only that street formerly known as “The Speedway” retains the name of Barnard Way.
The issue came up nearly a year ago when the council approved the renaming of what is now Ocean Way, Ocean Front Walk and Pacific Terrace, in an attempt to eliminate confusion and duplication with similarly named streets. The council asked staff to investigate renaming Ocean Avenue south of Pico Boulevard and the access road to the Pacific Coast Highway.
The proposal before the council tonight includes naming the access road to the PCH, which is only known as “former route 187.”
Route 187 began at the PCH in 1933 and traveled across southern California to the Lucerne and Morongo Valleys in the Mojave Desert. As freeways and interstates were built, the route was shortened. In 1994, the state eliminated the portion of route 187 in Santa Monica, including the unnamed access road between the PCH and Ocean Avenue. There are no addresses on the road so no private properties are affected.
If the council agrees to change Ocean Avenue to Barnard Way, city staff would meet with affected property owners and residents. A public hearing would then be scheduled to discuss the impacts, as well as to solicit input on the naming of the access road to the PCH.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 26, 2002. Read the original PDF.