(Reuters) - A Honolulu City Council proposal to name a popular Oahu beach after the first Hawaii-born U.S. president, Barack Obama, has been withdrawn after the plan met with little enthusiasm from the public, its sponsors said on Tuesday.
Council Chair Ernest Martin and co-sponsor Stanley Chang introduced a resolution last week to honor the commander-in-chief by renaming Sandy Beach Park as President Barack Obama Sandy Beach Park.
Located near Hanauma Bay on the east end of Oahu, the beach is known for a large shore break that makes it a favorite among body surfers, including, sponsors say, the president.
Obama is known to have body surfed at Sandy Beach while he was growing up, and has ridden the waves there while on vacation since being elected to the White House.
But according to a statement Martin issued on Tuesday, "public reaction to the proposal has been mixed."
"Most of the comments have raised the issue of historical and cultural sensitivity, and a number of alternatives have been suggested by the public," the statement said, adding that the two sponsors have agreed to remove the resolution from the council's agenda.
Reaction among beachgoers seemed sharply divided.
