VETERANS MEMORIAL PARK on Katella Avenue in Stanton (File photo).

Should the long-standing names of two city parks be changed?

The Stanton City Council took up that issue at its Tuesday meeting. Proposed by Councilmember John Warren for a possible change were Zuniga Park, located at 10902 Date St. (north of Katella Avenue) and Stanton Park, located at 7800 Katella Ave. (west of Beach Boulevard) at Cedar Street.

Zuniga Park is six-tenths of a mile in area; Stanton Park is 5.5 acres.

Warren wants to rename Zuniga Park after Victor Zuniga, the city’s first mayor. Stanton Park – located behind the civic center on land leased from Southern California Edison – is sometimes confused with Stanton Central Park, located on Western Avenue.

He’s suggesting that Stanton Park be renamed Philip Stanton Park after the legislator who helped found Huntington Beach (originally Pacific City), Seal Beach and Stanton.

What is now called Stanton was an unincorporated community most commonly mentioned as Benedict when Anaheim sought to annex the area for a sewer farm.

With Stanton’s assistance, residents of the area banded together and incorporated as a city, which they named after Stanton in 1911 in gratitude for his help.

The city lasted for 13 years when residents voted to disincorporate in 1924 to avoid the costs of building roads in the city.
Stanton re-incorporated in 1956 to avoid being swallowed up by its rapidly-growing neighbors of Anaheim, Buena Park and Garden Grove.

After some discussion, the council decided to have staff research the subject and bring back a report at a later meeting.