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Committee sends SR‑79 renaming back to panel for narrowed public re‑vetting
Summary
Staff recommended renaming the SR‑79 realignment project to 'San Jacinto Valley Expressway' after community outreach; commissioners questioned representativeness and voted to reconvene the renaming panel to produce a narrowed top list (4–5 names) for additional public input.
The committee considered staff’s recommendation to rename the State Route 79 realignment project to the San Jacinto Valley Expressway, based on an outreach process that produced roughly 460 name submissions and a renaming panel recommendation. Community Engagement Manager Italia Garcia told the committee that staff conducted a focused outreach effort (Oct. 14–25), which produced over 3,500 website visits and seven top name options; the panel selected "San Jacinto Valley Expressway" as the recommendation to the committee.
Several commissioners raised concerns about the representativeness of the submissions and the selection process. Commissioners noted the top name collected about 50 combined submissions (about 12% of the qualifying responses) and suggested a second, narrower public vote among a top 3–5 list would better reflect community preference. Commissioner Buxton cautioned that naming a project after one locality could appear to favor that jurisdiction; other commissioners proposed adding an additional vetted option (including an inquiry about naming portions in honor of individuals) and requested guidance from the county surveyor on naming rules.
Motion and outcome Following discussion, the committee voted to ask the renaming panel to reconvene with county surveyor parameters, develop a narrowed set of names (4–5), and re‑outreach to the public; the motion carried by roll call. Staff and the executive director said there is no requirement to adopt a name immediately, but Caltrans prefers the project not be referred to as State Route 79 to avoid confusion while the facility is being implemented as a county expressway.
Next steps The panel will reconvene with clarified parameters and then take a narrowed list back to the public; the committee will consider the panel’s recommended short list at a future meeting. The executive director also said staff will research options for honoring individuals or naming segments if the committee desires.
