Downtowners launch legal fund to fight City Hall’s street-renaming fever

• Joeff Davis/CL File
• Downtowners are tired of City Council ignoring its own rules when it comes to renaming streets.

The Atlanta Downtown Neighborhood Association is just trying to keep City Hall in check when it comes to changing street names. And the community organization is willing to go to court to do so.

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On May 18, the Atlanta City Council approved the renaming of a long stretch of Spring Street to Ted Turner Drive — and councilmembers didn’t play by their own rules to pass the proposal.

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Before Councilman C.T. Martin could get his legislation passed, the City Council agreed to waive several provisions from the street renaming ordinance. Those provisions required the applicant to obtain support from 75 percent of local businesses and residents and prohibited the renaming of portions of streets.

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Now ADNA is putting the spotlight on City Hall officials and aiming to preserve a part of Atlanta’s history — and even sue the city, if necessary.

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“We may be forced to pursue legal action to make sure it’s clear to City Council that folks are paying attention,” says ADNA President Kyle Kessler. “Atlantans have read the ordinances and seen what is supposed to be done, and if City Council is not going to do it, they’re not just going to allow it to continue.”

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ADNA has launched a crowdfunding page aiming to raise $5,000 to help pay for legal fees before the organization heads to court. Three days after going live, the effort has raised more than half its goal.

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Kessler stresses to Creative Loafing that he and ADNA wish to remain on friendly terms with Turner, “so it’s unfortunate that the actions of the City Council have put us at odds.”

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As residents noted during the consideration of the ordinance, there are other ways to honor Turner. Kessler suggests the “Friends of Ted Turner,” the group of business leaders and family members behind the push to rename Spring Street, should consider looking into Atlanta’s Adopt-A-Spot litter reduction program. The business tycoon often picks up trash during walks around his Luckie Street penthouse.

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“He’d still get a sign that says Spring Street has been adopted,” Kessler says. “It doesn’t cost a dime and it means you have some ownership and responsibility for taking care of the street.”

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He also says sticking with the Spring Street name should save the city cash and the hassle of updating paperwork, which city officials are still catching up on after Harris Street was renamed in 2011.

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“Four years after the street’s renaming, the city still puts out documents that cite Harris Street, and not John Portman,” Kessler says. “We could save the city some money and presumably some hassle as well.”