Atlanta Public Street Renaming

PUBLIC MEETING ON PROPOSED STREET RENAMING: 10 am on 11/30/2010 CITY COUNCIL UTILITIES COMMITTEE MEETING - TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2010, AT 10 AM in City Hall 2nd floor, committee room #2 In 2003, Councilmember Carla Smith sponsored an ordinance that brought most street renaming to a halt. However, a joint commission which has recently been appointed to look for ways to honor individuals who have contributed to the city is now contemplating renaming several of our streets (Baker, Fair, and Harris) for this purpose. This is proposed to be achieved through the waiving of sections 138-8(b)(5)(c) and 138-8(h) of the Code of Ordinances which requires approval of 75% of residents residing on or businesses located on the street.

Please help us stop this action by attending this public meeting and vocalizing your feelings on this issue to your Councilperson.

Atlanta is known for being a city that is constantly rebuilding and rebranding itself. Although General Sherman played a role in forcing the city to rebuild in the 19th Century, a majority of the "reconstruction" in the 20th Century and beyond has been effected by the hands of its own citizens.

Nothing is sacred for long in a city that strives to be anything but itself. The mission of the Atlanta Preservation Center is to enhance Atlanta's quality of life by promoting the preservation of the city's architecturally, historically and culturally significant buildings, neighborhoods, and landscapes through education and advocacy.

It is a constant struggle to try to preserve and enhance the identity of this fine city. One such example of the current loss of Atlanta's identity is the rapid renaming of its streets. We have seen Ivy Street become Peachtree Center Avenue, Whitehall Street become Peachtree Street SW, Houston Street become John Wesley Dobbs Avenue and Butler Street become Jesse Hill, Jr. Drive, and it does not stop there. These are just a few of the more notable examples in Downtown Atlanta, but the problem persists in both Atlanta's business districts and its neighborhoods.

Over the years, Atlanta's streets have been renamed for various reasons, including business interests, political purposes and sometimes personal favors. A street, though, is supposed to be given a name as a lasting dedication to someone (or something) that the majority of the people believe should be remembered. However, in renaming a street, that particular someone or something for which it was originally named becomes lost. Not only does renaming strip the recognition from the original person or group for whom it was commemorated, it also strips the neighborhood of another portion of its identity. What makes a city like Atlanta special to us all is that you can always come back to it and know your way around. That can be difficult to do when the Butler Street YMCA is no longer on Butler Street.

CITY COUNCIL UTILITIES COMMITTEE MEETING - TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2010, AT 10 AM in City Hall 2nd floor, committee room #2 Please help us stop this action by attending this public meeting and vocalizing your feelings on this issue to your Councilperson.

F.H. Boyd Coons, Executive Director Atlanta Preservation Center