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Clifton delays vote on renaming town park to honor Harriet and William Harris after committee endorsement
Summary
Councilmembers heard support from the Racial Justice Committee and descendants for renaming the Town Park “Harriet and William Harris Park” but agreed to solicit broader community input and to take up the matter again at the October meeting.
The Clifton Town Council opened a discussion on Sept. 1 about renaming the Town Park in honor of Harriet and William Harris, who owned the land after the Civil War and for whom a proposal was brought forward by the Racial Justice Committee.
Peter Noonan of 12635 Chapel Road, representing the park re-naming work group, told the council the Racial Justice Committee "formally supports the proposal to rename the park 'Harriet and William Harris Park.'" Mayor William Hollaway summarized the history of Harriet and William Harris before opening the topic for council discussion.
Councilmember Patrick Pline and others agreed the town should solicit input from the community. Vice Mayor Regan McDonald suggested the renaming could be paired with a public event to highlight the town’s history, while noting COVID-19 constraints could affect any public rollout. The council agreed to revisit the proposal at the October meeting to give the community sufficient opportunity to weigh in.
What happens next: The Town Clerk will distribute a notice asking for public comment and the council will consider the item again at its October meeting; no final action was taken on Sept. 1.
