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Listening Post: How Do Streets Get Renamed in Macon-Bibb County
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As part of our Listening Post project, GPB Macon has asked listeners to share what makes you curious. The newsroom collects these questions and tries to answer as many as we can.
One question we tackled was this: What does it take to get a street renamed in Macon-Bibb County?Audio story on renaming a street after a Macon pastor.
The first aspect worth noting is that many of the streets that are renamed have a connection to the spiritual.
“Since I've been in office I’ve probably done about four or five of them in the district,” said Virgil Watkins, a member of the Macon-Bibb County Commission. “They've all kind of centered around … historic church leaders. Usually it's a recently deceased church leader.”
That brings us to the Unionville section of Macon and the Covenant Church of Jesus Christ, which sits on the corner of Mercer University Drive and Apostle David L. Pitts Senior Boulevard.
Who is David Pitts? Pitts and his wife Angela, founded the church. The current building opened under their watch in 1991. Pitts died in 2007. Eight years later, the family wanted to rename a portion of what was then called May Avenue in their father's honor.
The Macon-Bibb policy on renaming streets says there must be a "clear and concise statement" for renaming the street and only those who have demonstrated "significant contributions" can qualify.
“It’s kind of a bio or a resume,” said Watkins. “What has he done in this area to make (him) relevant.”
A letter was sent to Macon-Bibb government from the son of David Pitts, Brandon, who is now the pastor of the church. Brandon Pitts began by describing his father as a Unionville native who “worked tirelessly in this neighborhood to ensure that all men and women were uplifted spiritually and naturally.”
The letter says that David Pitts “established the Harvest Food Ministry” and worked to rehabilitate properties in the community.
“Those are just a few of the numerous things that Apostle Pitts did to impact this wonderful community,” is how Brandon Pitts’ letter finishes.
Church administrator Brent Hightower explained that they also had to get a petition signed by each household living on the street saying that they approved of the new name. In this case only a few households lived on the section of street in question.
The Macon-Bibb policy requires the honoree must have been deceased for a year. And, the policy says the honoree can’t have a criminal past. Hightower said that permission must be given to do a background check on David Pitts.
“I mean you don’t want any thieves with some street named after (them),” Hightower said with a chuckle. A committee of the Macon-Bibb Commission holds a public hearing and then, if all goes well, at least five of the nine-member commission will approve of the name change to make it official.
“It was easy,” said Hightower when asked how he found the process.
Hightower is a nephew of David Pitts. So the effort like the church itself is something of a family affair. Monique Pitts Taylor, also a church administrator and Pitts' daughter, says this was a fitting memorial.
“We felt like it was only right that the street was renamed in his honor,” said Pitts Taylor. “So no matter what goes on in Unionville people can remember when they ride past a ride on the street that you know it all started right here."
So what do makes you curious? Send your questions about Macon and Middle Georgia to ASKGPBMACON and our reporters will try to find the answer.
Support for Health, Education, and Poverty reporting on GPB Macon comes from the Peyton Anderson Foundation.
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