As Charlottesville City Council plans to potentially rename both Lee Park and Jackson Park lawyers say a legal document may halt a portion of that process. 

A debate over renaming the parks filled a conference room inside City Hall on May 24. Some naming suggestions for Jackson Park included “Court Square”, “Courthouse”, “The Commons”, or “Memory” park.

Lawyers are arguing that the original deed to Jackson Park requires the name stay the same. 

According to a December 1918 park deed, provided by those lawyers, Paul McIntire presented the property to the city of Charlottesville with the provision that, "It be known as Jackson Park."

"Changing the name of Jackson Park would clearly contravene the terms of the conveyance,” said Jock Yellet, a lawyer involved with the lawsuit. 

"So, you have this deed and the acceptance of it by the city so it seems to me that the deed restriction itself should be a legal prohibition against renaming Jackson Park," said Charles Weber, another attorney involved. 

The Lee Park deed does not have the same language. Lawyers say they are looking into other legal justifications for stopping the renaming of Lee Park specifically.