Artesia Boulevard, which has long been considered to be renamed Redondo Beach Boulevard, will keep its name following a decision by the Redondo Beach City Council.
The Artesia Boulevard name will not become a relic of the past to be replaced by another name from Redondo Beach’s history books.
In a 3-2 vote, the Redondo Beach City Council opted against renaming Artesia Boulevard back to Redondo Beach Boulevard, given testimony and concern from residents.
Artesia Boulevard is a major corridor for North Redondo Beach. But its profile has fallen among residents due to perceptions of aging and empty storefronts along Artesia and a proliferation of massage parlors.
The renaming of Artesia has been a long-time project for both the North Redondo Beach Business Association and former Redondo Beach Fire Chief and councilman Pat Aust.
For the NRBBA, it’s a matter of confusion, as many businesses along Artesia complain that repeating address numbers in cities that Artesia passes through result in lost business.
But for Aust, it’s a matter of history. The road was first known as Gould Lane, renamed Redondo Beach Boulevard in the 1930s, then changed again to Artesia Boulevard in the 1960s, in keeping with westward expansion of State Route 91, the Artesia Freeway.
In 2011, with Aust’s support, the Council passed a motion to research the revival of Redondo Beach Boulevard. Two public workshops voicing signifiant opposition were held in 2013, and the matter was set aside until 2015.
The possibility of a name change led the cities of Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach and Lawndale to pass ordinances opposing the change.
City staff received 22 letters of opposition to the change from residents, business and property owners, the City of Lawndale and Manhattan Councilman Wayne Powell. Eleven letters were sent to city staff in support of the change, in addition to 38 other support letters presented by the NRBBA.
The proposal is motivated by economic development and rebranding, said NRBBA President John Gran. But it’s also about developing a “sense of place” in North Redondo.
“[City Treasurer] Steve Diels says North Redondo is the ‘economic engine’ of Redondo Beach…what we look to do is restore Redondo Beach Boulevard to its rightful place,” Gran said, adding that the South Bay Galleria would be interested in changing its address to reflect its status along Redondo Beach Boulevard.
But resident Julian Stern, whose family owns a business along Artesia, found the proposal dubious. “I think it’s a step, but not in the right direction…what kills a sense of community is having next-door neighbors [storefronts] empty,” Stern said. He then noted that the $19,000 expenditure for sign changes proposed by staff likely didn’t take into account changes to Beach Cities Transit bus signs or literature, or on the labels of books from the city library’s north branch, which staff confirmed.
“We have three centers where people congregate: Riviera Village, the waterfront, and Artesia,” said Councilman Christian Horvath, who said that renaming Artesia would be an investment toward the future. “It’s a priority of ours to bring back that focus [to Artesia].”
Councilman Steve Sammarco, who represents much of the area along Artesia Boulevard, wasn’t convinced.
“If the NRBBA came forward with a plan and marketing to help businesses [with potential cost impacts], that’d be different,” he said. “But I’ve only heard a lot of talk.”
The proposal was voted down by council members Sammarco, Bill Brand and Martha Barbee. Horvath and Laura Emdee, who have long pressed for economic revitalization of Artesia, voted in favor.
