A second bid to rename a street for the architect responsible for much of the city’s skyline is expected to encounter continued resistance today when it comes before Atlanta City Council.
The council is to vote for a second time on whether to rename Harris Street — named for Fulton County’s first elected legislator — to John Portman Boulevard. In January, the council balked at the vote after an uproar by downtown neighborhood advocates and historical preservationists who resent the council’s penchant for renaming streets. Those groups plan to show up again today.
“There are better ways of honoring people than renaming streets,” said Jeff Lam, president of the Downtown Neighborhood Association.
Council President Ceasar Mitchell, who favors the name change, says Portman’s contributions are worth what he calls the highest honor a city can bestow. Portman, 86, is a nationally renowned architect and developer who’s responsible for building the Peachtree Center downtown and the SunTrust building.
“The neighborhoods are just against street-name changes all together,” Mitchell said. “I respect their opinion, but that is only something to be taken under advisement.”
The resurrected move to rename Harris Street caught opponents unaware because it resurfaced in the council’s utilities commission meeting —which oversees street renamings — Tuesday without first appearing on the meeting agenda. Councilman C.T. Martin, a proponent of the name change, brought it forward despite opposition of downtown neighborhoods and the Urban Design Commission.
“The support wasn’t there — it feels kind of sneaky to put this forward,” Councilwoman Yolanda Adrean said at the meeting.
Councilman Kwanza Hall, who represents the downtown area, said introducing the issue without public notice undermines trust between the community and the council.
“My colleagues just went ahead and did what they wanted to do,” he said.
Bob Holmes, retired director of the Southern Center for Studies in Public Policy at Clark Atlanta University, said the city needs to develop a more objective method for honoring people.
Currently, a name-change commission is appointed. Some residents complain the commissions usually area composed of people closely associated with — and sometimes financially tied to — the honoree. Others object to renaming streets that have for decades memorialized city fathers and other historical figures.
“You need to have standards and criteria for renaming streets or buildings, otherwise personality or relationships becomes the overriding factor,” said Holmes, a former state legislator.
The utilities committee voted to send the Harris Street proposal to the council without recommendation. At the same meeting, the committee gave a favorable recommendation to a proposal to honor media pioneer Xernona Clayton in which the proponents had compromised with neighborhood groups and preservationists.
“The Clayton Commission got a way to honor Mrs. Clayton and we got to keep the historic street name — everyone got something out of that,” said Boyd Coons, executive director of the Atlanta Preservation Center.
Councilwoman Carla Smith said the council routinely waives the requirements of a 2003 law she spearheaded to make it difficult to rename streets.
The law requires 75 percent approval from businesses and residents on the street; that the entire street be renamed and not simply sections of it; and that the group wanting to rename the street pay a $2,500 fee up front to cover expenses. It also requires input from neighborhood planning units, historical preservation groups and an appearance before the Urban Design Commission.
The requirements slowed down street renaming for several years but recently have been routinely ignored, Smith said. She said the committee that she created to honor former Mayor Ivan Allen by renaming a street for him also didn’t follow the proper procedures.
Holmes, however, said he was certain Portman would be a person who would rate a street under any system.
“It would be hard to have opposition to a guy who has had the greatest impact to the development of downtown Atlanta,” Holmes said. “This is the guy who was the primary mover in revitalizing downtown — this guy was probably more important than a lot of mayors of the city.”
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