PORTLAND, Ore. -- Supporters and opponents of renaming 39th Avenue after labor activist Cesar Chavez packed City Hall on Tuesday night, but they'll have to wait another two weeks for a decision.

Council chambers were filled to capacity for the public hearing. The council was considering whether to rename a stretch of 39th Avenue after Cesar Chavez, a California farm worker and co-founder of the United Farm Workers.

In May, planners voted to rename 39th instead of Grand and Broadway avenues because those streets were too historically significant to Portland.

City officials estimate it would cost about $86,000 to manufacture new signs and remove the old ones.

Supporters said the renaming will honor an American hero, while others said renaming 39th simply does not make sense and will cost too much money.

"We find it offensive that the people who are (living) on the street and who are going to be affected by the street renaming -- somehow the burden is on us to explain why we don't want this to happen," said Eric Fruits, who opposes the renaming. "Instead, the burden should be on the people who want to rename the street. Why is our street so special to them that it needs to be renamed?"

Bertha Rerran, who supports the renaming, said it's time for Chavez to be honored in Portland.

"I do not understand why there is so much opposition to this," she said. "This is a man who fought for the American people, who fought for the freedoms that we have (and) fought for the workers, for better conditions and for better wages."

After hours of public comment, Mayor Sam Adams called for an end to the hearing Tuesday night.

City councilors will make their final decision on July 8.

Cesar Chavez Vote Not Until July 8