Local lawyer and commissioners press for historical review after late petition to rename Second Lake

A lifelong San Bernardino resident and attorney urged the Parks & Recreation Commission to reject a proposal to change the name of Second Lake, saying the historical record does not support labeling the lake's namesake as a segregationist.

"My view is that the key to San Bernardino's renaissance and revitalization lies in pride," said Mr. Prince during public comment, adding that the shorthand name that appears on litigation papers ("Lopez versus Second") does not, by itself, indicate the defendant was racist. "There's no evidence that Second is a racist. There's no evidence that Second is a segregationist," he said.

The commission heard from staff that the petition and application to rename the park were submitted outside the time frame set by the city's park-naming policy, adopted in August 2023. Staff said they will consult with the city clerk's office and the city attorney to determine whether the application or the signatures can be accepted as submitted or whether the petitioners must reapply during the next filing period.

The matter remains at the review stage; no formal recommendation or council action was taken at the meeting. Staff described the next steps as administrative review and legal vetting: if the application is accepted outside the stated window, the commissions and advisory bodies must still review findings before anything is forwarded to city council.

Commissioners asked staff to do additional historical research into the namesake and the context of the events cited by commenters before moving the matter forward. One commissioner urged the commission to "dig deeper into that" to understand the full legacy and whether a renaming recommendation would be appropriate.

Because the petition was filed outside the established filing period, staff told commissioners there are a few possible outcomes: accept the application as submitted, require the petitioners to re-gather signatures during the next filing window, or advise waiting until the January filing period. Staff said they would have more concrete guidance at the next commission meeting.

The item drew public comment but no vote by the commission on the renaming itself. Commissioners also discussed public-comment procedures after one speaker noted a perceived inconsistency in how extra time was handled for earlier speakers; staff and the chair said allowance of additional time is at the chair's discretion.

The commission did not take formal action on the name change at this meeting; staff will report back after consulting the city clerk and legal staff.