Santa Barbara to Rename Calle Cesar Chavez to Limuw Street to Honor Chumash

Santa Barbara City Council voted 6-1 in favor of renaming Calle Cesar Chavez to Limuw Street, paying homage to the original Chumash name for Santa Cruz Island, which, on a clear day, can be seen from the corner where the street meets Cabrillo Boulevard.

The city had been pursuing a name change ever since Chavez, the once beloved labor organizer and cofounder of the United Farm Workers (UFW) union, faced a wave of public disgrace after allegations of decades of sexual abuse were revealed in a New York Times investigative report earlier this year.

Since then, the city initiated the process, holding community meetings with the Neighborhood Advisory Council, going door-to-door speaking with property owners and hosting a neighborhood meeting in early September.

The half-mile stretch that runs between East Gutierrez Street and East Cabrillo Boulevard is home to 86 unique addresses, many of which are businesses and residents who were skeptical about the city forcing another name change less than 30 years since the city renamed the street after Chavez back in 1997.

The city will pay the estimated $1,500 to change the actual street signs, but the property owners would be responsible for changing their signage, vehicle lettering, printed materials, websites, licenses, permits, and business records. The council did direct staff to pursue a small business grant or forgivable loan program to help property owners with the related costs.

David Beaver, a property owner who manages eight properties in the area, said that residents and property owners would prefer to leave the name as is, or if necessary, revert to its previous name, Salsipuedes Street.

Councilmember Oscar Gutierrez, who led the push for the name change, spoke firsthand with property owners, and supported returning the street to its former name, but a vote on his proposal was defeated. 

The city had three alternatives, including two that honored labor organizer and UFW cofounder Dolores Huerta — Si Se Puede Street and Calle Dolores Huerta — and Limuw Street, which would honor the Chumash heritage of the area.

The majority of City Council preferred Limuw Street, the option that was recommended by members of the Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation, though Chumash leaders voiced concerns that they weren’t properly consulted in the decision-making process.

Despite the concerns raised about the need for broader public outreach, councilmembers saw the Limuw as an appropriate reference to the indigenous roots of the shoreline, and a rare instance of geographical serendipity that could not be ignored. 

“I don’t know that you’ll ever find the opportunity for a geographical location to line up with a street looking out at a cultural island right out in front of it,” said Councilmember Mike Jordan.

Eventually the council voted 6-1 in favor of changing the name to Limuw Street. Mayor Randy Rowse voted in opposition, saying he preferred the street simply go back to its previous name.

The city will also look into an idea suggested by community historian Michael Montenegro, who asked that a “Heritage Square” be created to honor Huerta and other local community leaders.