THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, December 23, 1995 TAG: 9512230371
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ELIZABETH THIEL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines
What's it like to live in a place with no name, no identity except in the collective memories of those who reside there?
Ask John A. Moseberth.
Moseberth, 67, a retired restaurant owner, lives with five other residents on a street that has no name in the city's Western Branch area. For more than a year, Moseberth has lobbied to get the city to pick a name and post signs.
But his pleas got no results until recently. Officials have promised Moseberth that signs will be erected by Jan. 15. Moseberth says he'll believe it when he sees it.
``It's just a simple thing that could have been easily corrected,'' Moseberth said. ``It should never have happened.''
Perry R. Rogis, the city's chief of staff, said officials have tried to help Moseberth. But Moseberth never responded to city requests that he pick a name for the street.
``I think we would have acted sooner if we had received responses to our inquiries,'' Rogis said. ``Because the last thing you want to do is go ahead and name a street without the concurrence of the residents.''
Moseberth said he doesn't care what they name it, so long as his street goes on the map.
The trouble began about 15 years ago, Moseberth said.
Moseberth's property and that of his neighbors used to front Jolliff Road, one of Western Branch's main thoroughfares.
But then state transportation officials began getting ready for the highway that would eventually become Interstate 664, including preparing Jolliff Road to pass over the highway. The residents' property was separated from Jolliff. An offshoot, another tiny street, was created to serve Moseberth and his neighbors.
They still claimed Jolliff Road as their address. But mail carriers and trash collectors wouldn't come to their homes, because the new street didn't have a cul-de-sac that would allow the trucks to turn around. Moseberth and the others had to walk or drive their mail and trash to the main road.
Then several years ago, when Jolliff Road was lifted to pass over I-664, Moseberth's street became even more isolated.
It looks more like a service road for the highway than a residential street. Trucks and cars regularly rumble onto the lane, thinking it's an on-ramp for 664, Moseberth said. Huge dents in the guardrails lining the street's opening attest to painful U-turns made by truck drivers.
Delivery drivers and repair workers can't find the street. United Parcel Service doesn't know where it is.
``They can find anything in the world, but they can't find us,'' Moseberth said.
But his biggest worry is emergency vehicles. Once, when a neighbor called an ambulance, Moseberth had to go flag down the driver at the intersection of his street and Jolliff.
The Fire Department was surprised when Moseberth informed them of his whereabouts.
``Anybody who's not actually familiar with or hasn't been here before has a very hard time finding us,'' he said.
Moseberth said that since he brought the problem to city officials' attention about a year and a half ago, the city has inspected the road and has classified it at various times as a service road and a private street. The city is not required to erect a sign on either type of thoroughfare.
Finally, Moseberth appealed to William H. Pierce, who waged an unsuccessful campaign as an independent candidate for City Council in November.
Pierce spoke on Moseberth's behalf in public at council meetings.
``I cannot for the life of me figure out what takes so long to make a couple of street signs,'' Pierce said.
``It's just one of those things where a guy gets caught up in the bureaucracy. We can send a guy to the moon, but we can't put up a few street signs.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by MORT FRYMAN, The Virginian-Pilot
John A. Moseberth, a retired restaurant owner, lives with five other
residents, on a street off Jolliff Road, in Western Branch.
by CNB