13 Date: September 15, 2026
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Councilwoman Megan Kerr, Fifth District
Vice Mayor Roberto Uranga, Seventh District
Subject: Street Name Changes for existing street in honor of Former Mayor Beverly O'Neill
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation to request the City Manager to coordinate with the Community Development and Public Works Departments to take necessary actions to provide commemorative and directional signage and execute a street name change on E. Lew Davis Street, from Clark Avenue to Faculty Avenue, to “Beverly O’Neill Way”; and Authorize the City Manager to direct the Public Works Director to change maps and street signs as necessary and transmit information to all relevant departments.
DISCUSSION
The recommendation is to approve the renaming of E. Lew Davis Street, from Clark Avenue to Faculty Avenue, to “Beverly O’Neill Way”. This renaming and associated signage commemorates former Mayor Beverly O’Neill as one of the most influential leaders in Long Beach history, with contributions spanning education, civic leadership, and community service.
Beverly Joy O’Neill (née Lewis) was born on September 8, 1930, and has dedicated more than five decades to the advancement of education and public service in Long Beach. As a lifelong Long Beach resident, Beverly attended public schools in the city—from preschool through high school—including attendance at the historic Long Beach Day Nursery, local LBUSD elementary and junior high schools, and graduation from Long Beach Polytechnic High School.
She earned degrees from Long Beach City College and California State University, Long Beach, and served as Superintendent-President of Long Beach City College.
For over 30 years at Long Beach City College as a faculty member, administrator, and ultimately Superintendent-President, Beverly’s work expanded student access, strengthened academic programs, and elevated LBCC’s reputation in the region. In recognition of her contributions to Long Beach City College, Beverly was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 1976.
From 1994 – 2006, Beverly O’Neill served as Mayor of the City of Long Beach where during her tenure, she guided the city through major economic transitions, strengthened the tourism and trade sectors, revitalized downtown, and expanded civic and cultural resources. Former
Honorable Mayor and City Council
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Mayor, Beverly O’Neill has volunteered with more than 20 community organizations and continues to serve as a mentor, advocate, and symbol of civic integrity and collaboration. In all her work, Former Mayor O’Neill raised Long Beach’s profile and secured outside partnerships and investment for future generations.
While conducting research for this recommendation, we delved into the history of “Lew Davis” to ensure that, in honoring Beverly O’Neill, we are not inadvertently erasing the legacy of another individual. Not much is known about his life, but according to some newspaper clippings from the 1940s, Lew Davis worked in the planning and engineering division of the then Douglas Company (attachment 1). On behalf of the Douglas Company and his fellow employees, Mr. Davis met with the City Manager at that time to discuss the infrastructure needed to support employees as the Douglas Company continued to expand, which ultimately resulted in the creation of the access road, Lew Davis St. We appreciate the contributions both he and the Douglas Company made to our city in those days, as well as the support the Douglas Company helped provide for our country during World War II. Since that time, the access road is no longer utilized supporting the former aircraft manufacturing hub; it has since evolved into primary support for LBCC students and staff access to sports facilities and meeting spaces, meeting the very different needs of today.
Where the Douglas Company once was, is now home to a variety of uses including portions of Long Beach City College; and its surrounding streets serve as access points for learning, activity, and civic connection. Long Beach City College is in the process of building new student housing on the very road we propose to rename, even further demonstrating the ongoing efforts across the city to meet the ever-evolving needs of our communities. As this area begins to take a new shape, it feels the perfect time to rename the street to uplift the important work of Beverly O’Neill, to ensure that future generations of students, residents, and visitors recognize and reflect on her contributions to education, public service, and the City of Long Beach.
Renaming this portion of E. Lew Davis Street adjacent to Long Beach City College, an area characterized by civic and educational uses, provides a fitting and lasting tribute that reflects her deep ties to Long Beach’s educational institutions and her transformative impact on the city.
This matter has been reviewed by Budget Manager Rebecca Bernstorff on September 2, 2026.
FISCAL IMPACT
This recommendation requests City Manager to work with the Community Development Department and Public Works Department to initiate a process to rename E. Lew Davis Street between Clark Avenue and Faculty Avenue as “Beverly O’Neill Way”. This will have a moderate impact on staff, and the cost of the street name change process outlined in Chapter 20 of the Municipal Code and to manufacture and install related ceremonial and wayfinding signage is estimated at around $3,000. There is currently no funding appropriated for this project; however, Divide by 9 funds or additional funds secured by partner agencies could be used to Honorable Mayor and City Council
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cover the costs.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully submitted,
Megan Kerr, Councilwoman, Fifth District
Roberto Uranga, Vice Mayor, Seventh District
Honorable Mayor and City Council
September 15, 2026
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Attachment 1
Press-Telegram. (December 2, 1941). air workers. Newspapers.com.
Retrieved August 31, 2026, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/press- telegram-air-workers/204608778/
The Long Beach Sun. (December 2, 1941). Traffic - 12/2/1941.
Newspapers.com. Retrieved August 31, 2026, from
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-long-beach-sun-traffic- 1221941/204608935/