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To designate the 600 block of Edgehill Road in honor of Willard H. Douglas, Jr.
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WHEREAS, upon information and belief of the Council, the late Willard H. Douglas, Jr. was credited with being the Commonwealth of Virginia’s first full-time black judge when he was elected to the City of Richmond’s Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court by the Virginia General Assembly in 1972; and
WHEREAS, upon information and belief of the Council, Willard H. Douglas, Jr., was a native of Amherst County, Virginia, served in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean Conflict, received his undergraduate degree from Virginia Union University and his law degree from Howard University, and worked as an attorney for the City of Richmond Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s and the United States Civil Rights Commission prior to his election to the bench; and
WHEREAS, throughout his life, Willard H. Douglas, Jr., served as a member of a number of charitable, community, and professional organizations including the Big Brothers, the Richmond Epilepsy Association, Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, the Methodist church, the American Bar Association, and the Old Dominion Bar Association; and
WHEREAS, the City desires to memorialize the life of Willard H. Douglas, Jr. for his contributions to the charitable, community, and professional life of the city of Richmond by designating the 600 block of Edgehill Road in his honor; and
WHEREAS, because this designation is honorary only, the provisions of sections 8-7 through 8-10 of the Code of the City of Richmond (2020), as amended, do not apply to the designation made hereby or to any signs erected pursuant to this ordinance;
NOW, THEREFORE,
THE CITY OF RICHMOND HEREBY ORDAINS:
§ 1. Designation of Street Block for Honorary Names. The 600 block of Edgehill Road shall be designated in honor of Willard H. Douglas, Jr., pursuant to this ordinance.
§ 2. Effect of Designation. The designation of the portion of the street made pursuant to this ordinance shall be honorary only, shall not replace the existing name of the street, and shall have no effect on the address of any property with an address on the designated street blocks. The sole effect of designation pursuant to this ordinance shall be to authorize the placement of commemorative signs in accordance with this ordinance memorializing the designation in honor of the named person.
§ 3. Administration of Ordinance. The Department of Public Works shall implement this ordinance by installing, as soon as practicable after the adoption of this ordinance, and maintaining commemorative signs in accordance with this section. The commemorative signs shall be clearly distinct from the street signs used to identify the portion of the street in question such that a reasonable person could not conclude that the commemorative signs reflect the actual name of the street. The commemorative signs (i) shall be affixed to a sign pole installed at each end of the portion of the street designated in section 1 of this ordinance for the purpose of fulfilling the requirements of this section or to any existing sign identifying the portion of the street designated in section 1 of this ordinance located at each end of the portion of the street designated in section 1 of this ordinance and (ii) shall bear the name of the person set forth in section 1 of this ordinance.
§ 4. Effective Date. This ordinance shall be in force and effect upon adoption.