Council Could Vote Today on Harris Street Renaming

Atlanta City Council could vote on the proposed renaming of Harris Street at a Tuesday meeting.

“Officially, the Harris Street renaming legislation is still in committee and not on the full council's agenda for tomorrow's meeting,” council spokesman Dexter Chambers said in an email today. “But brace yourself, it could be pulled out of the committee and voted on tomorrow.”

The legislation, which is opposed by many Buckhead, Midtown, East Atlanta and Cascade residents, would rename the downtown street in honor of Atlanta architect John Portman.

“Concerned residents, business owners and organizations plan to appear to speak in opposition to the renaming of Harris Street,” Wright Mitchell, a Buckhead attorney representing the Atlanta Preservation Center, said in an email early this morning.

Last week, council’s City Utilities Committee voted to file the legislation, which means that a decision on the proposal was put on the back burner. At that time, Chambers said the proposal would not go before the full council for a vote on Tuesday.

But, “any councilmember can pull an item off of the ‘held agenda’ and bring it up for a vote during a council meeting if that item has languished in a committee for two cycles or longer,” Chambers said today.  

On Saturday, Jay Tribby, chief of staff for Dist. 2 Councilman Kwanza Hall, asked people to sign up to speak Tuesday about the Harris Street renaming in a Twitter message.

“All I can say at this point is stay tuned,” Chambers said. 

Council will meet tomorrow at 1 p.m. in council chambers at Atlanta City Hall.