A proposal from two Bakersfield City Council members could lead to the renaming of H Street to Cesar Chavez Boulevard, potentially creating the longest street dedication in the city.
The proposed Cesar Chavez Boulevard would run from Golden State Highway to Taft Highway if approved by both the Planning Commission and City Council.
Bakersfield Vice Mayor Manpreet Kaur says the effort came from community members who wanted to honor the late civil rights leader known for his fight for social justice in Kern County.
"We as a region are so proud to have roots in agriculture; we are proud to be the region that feeds and fuels the entire nation," Kaur said.
Kaur explained that while Chavez has been honored with street names across the nation, Bakersfield has yet to recognize him in the same way despite being at the center of the farmworker movement he led.
"While there are so many streets across the nation that have honored Cesar, right here, in the backyard of the farmworker movement, we have not honored Cesar Chavez in the same way," Kaur said.
Andres Chavez, Cesar Chavez's grandson and executive director of the National Chavez Center, says this dedication would be particularly meaningful.
"This one is a little different. It's different because a lot of his family members who are still alive and still live in Bakersfield," Chavez said.
According to the city's agenda report, staff identified H Street as the best option based on traffic volume, length, number of addresses, and historical significance.
The cost of changing street signs would be minimal, with the larger expenses coming from mapping updates and business address changes.
Some local business owners on H Street don't anticipate major problems with the potential change.
"It shouldn't be that much of an issue unless you have a big sign in the front that you have to redo with your address on it. I don't have that, unfortunately, so I don't see a problem," said Susan Valenzuela, owner of Blow It Up Balloons.
The Bakersfield City Council is scheduled to discuss the street name change during Wednesday's council meeting.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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