Community Left Behind Wants Name Change, Too

One day after residents of western Sepulveda changed their community’s name to North Hills, the neighbors they left behind east of the San Diego Freeway said they want to join North Hills and dump the name Sepulveda altogether.

The campaign was not welcomed by North Hills homeowners, who adopted the new name because they said they felt stigmatized by association with the eastern neighborhood’s reputation for drug-dealing and street crime.

Residents of eastern Sepulveda said the secession of North Hills on Monday left them feeling isolated and uncertain about the future of their homes and property. They characterized their campaign as an effort to keep the community united, whether it is called North Hills or Sepulveda. If the eastern residents are able to collect the required number of signatures on a petition supporting the name change, the community name of Sepulveda would die and the effects of the secession drive could be nullified.