CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) -- A Chula Vista committee Thursday voted unanimously in favor of a proposal that includes the removal of a statue of explorer Christopher Columbus.
The city’s Human Relations Commission approved a recommendation to not only remove the statue and change the name of Discovery Park, but to change Columbus Day to Indigenous People's Day in Chula Vista.
With the resolution's passage by the committee, the full City Council will take up the issue and make a final decision at a later date.
The Columbus statue has been at Discovery Park (700 Buena Vistas Way) for nearly three decades, but it has been a frequent target of vandals. Last Columbus Day, the statue was doused with red paint.
There are some who are hoping the park is not renamed and the statue remains in place, but there are others who believe the statue and the park’s name are offensive.
On Wednesday, members from both sides of the issue got into a heated debate, prompting Chula Vista police to respond to the situation.
