Throughout James City County, buildings and parks bear the names of both people and purpose: The Abram Frink Jr. Community Center, James City County Recreation Center, Judge William T. Stone Memorial Highway, Veterans Park and more.
So, how do those buildings and roads get named?
The James City County Board of Supervisors has requested staff put together a more formal policy for naming public facilities, roads and other structures in the county, including guidelines for discerning what names are appropriate or fitting.
The request came at a board meeting earlier this year when supervisors inquired about naming a road in the county after James City’s only officer killed in the line of duty. One supervisor also asked about naming the James City County Recreation Center after a former supervisor, Assistant County Administrator Jason Purse said.
“Since there was more than one [request], the board said “Hey, this is a good time to figure out how we do this in general,’” Purse said.
While the county’s parks and recreation department has a staff-specific process for naming facilities — normally they are named after their location or function — but no policy for naming matters taken up by the Board of Supervisors.
In the past, the board has taken a vote to name other areas of the county, despite not having specific guidelines governing how the name should be chosen. One of those areas is Veterans Park, which was previously known as Mid County Park
“It makes it easier to have policies in place,” Purse said.
The sergeant
More than a year ago, James City County resident William Truax pitched an idea to police asking them to consider naming a road, bridge or overpass after Sgt. Earl Marlin Heisler, the only James City County officer to lose his life in the line of duty.
A road or structure has not been named after Heisler as of the end of May, but Purse said the county is considering naming the section of Centerville Road between News Road and Monticello Avenue, where he had some family connections.
Heisler was shot and killed on Sept. 19, 1978. He was 37 years old.
He was checking on a suspicious vehicle parked with three people inside behind the then-Ramada Inn West on Richmond Road. He was investigating a series of recent burglaries at the nearby Stratford Hall Apartments near the intersection of Airport and Richmond roads.
As Heisler was searching the car after seeing a bag of marijuana on the back seat, the driver, Ronald Thatcher, grabbed Heisler’s gun and shot him in the face.
Purse said naming a road after Heisler would likely be the Board of Supervisors’ first naming consideration after policies are put in place.
When it comes to state-owned roads, the county must approve a resolution using its own policies and procedures, then bring it to the Commonwealth Transportation Board.
Moving forward
Purse has looked to other localities for guidance on what the naming policy should encompass.
At the May 21 Board of Supervisors meeting, Purse said the research thus far has shown some other localities name facilities based on their purpose. Other facilities were named after people who donated large amounts of money toward construction, or who were deceased and played a role in that facility or its purpose while they were alive.
Because of the nature of the discussion, some supervisors at the May 21 meeting suggested there would need to be some preparation and discussion ahead of time, adding that the decision should be unanimous if naming a facility after a person.
“The facility ought to have a relationship with the individual,” Supervisor John McGlennon said at the meeting.
Purse aims to present his policy recommendations to the board at a meeting in June.
Naming facilities and roadways would be an open-session item, meaning the discussion and vote would occur publicly during a board meeting.
