Naming a city landmark is generally a swift and uncomplicated procedure.

But plans to develop 123 acres in Northwest Roanoke could send a city councilman's proposal to name an 18-hole golf course after the late Roy Stanley into the political rough.

Stanley was a much-beloved resident of Northwest Roanoke who spent 30 years covering sports for WDBJ (Channel 7) television before his death from cancer in 2002 at age 51. He lived near Countryside Golf Course.

The city purchased the course for $4.1 million in late 2005 and Roanoke City Councilman Sherman Lea, who was good friends with the sportscaster, wants to name the 18-hole course after him.

No matter what happens to the course in the future, the city could still designate the name of the course, Lea said. "Roy played such a vital role in this region. I think it would be a tremendous honor for him to do that."

The Roanoke Planning Commission is set to hear the proposal on Thursday.

The city, however, is working with a development group that wants to boil the current 18-hole course down to a smaller, nine-hole "executive" course surrounded by town houses, condominiums, single-family homes and retail businesses. As a result, some council members are uncomfortable with the idea of naming a course whose days may be numbered.

"Somebody's going to have to explain the merit of doing that to me if we're working with a developer to take it out of city hands," said Councilwoman Gwen Mason. "How would you guarantee that it stays named that if it's no longer in city hands?"

Vice Mayor David Trinkle expressed similar concerns.

"Since we're in the middle of trying to decide what to do with the Countryside neighborhood and golf course, we shouldn't go around naming something that may not even exist in a couple of years," Trinkle said.

Even Stanley's sister, Rhonda Rogers, an administrative associate at Virginia Tech, is skeptical.

"From what I understand, Countryside's about to shut down anyway, so I guess, why bother?" Rogers said.

Councilman Bev Fitzpatrick suggested Lea in part pitched the name change as a political maneuver to halt development of the land.

Lea, who is in favor of keeping the full 18-hole course at Countryside, said he's motivated not by politics but by a personal friendship with Stanley.

Their children went to school together, with Lea's and Stanley's daughters even sharing a dormitory at Radford University. Both Lea and his son are members of the Roy Stanley Scholarship Committee, which hosts a fundraising golf tournament each year.

"To even imply that's politics is a statement without merit," Lea said. "I'm really, really disappointed in that. We're trying to do something positive."

Lea said he'll pursue the idea, but if it starts to turn into a political issue, he'll drop it.

"I'm not going to put his name to a debate," Lea said. "If there's not enough support there, I'm not going to bring it up."

Meanwhile, Countryside's future is still cloudy. The city bought the land because it's located along Interstate 581 and is one of the largest undeveloped tracts still left in Roanoke.

The city announced plans to develop the site for housing and economic development, with the goal of increasing the tax base and establishing a new, high-quality community in Northwest Roanoke.

One developer responded initially but then pulled out of the project. A second request for proposals yielded no response. A third attempt drew only one response.

That development group, which includes Triangle Development of Richmond, the Victor Foti Co. and Alleghany Construction of the Roanoke Valley, and Mike Morgan Engineering of Midlothian, proposed shrinking the course and surrounding it with a variety of housing and retail buildings. After an April meeting, city planning staff sent the group a list of concerns to be addressed by Aug. 1.

Morgan and Foti could not be reached for comment.

Valerie Garner is the chairwoman of the Countryside Neighborhood Alliance, which formed to oppose plans to develop the course. She said the group has numerous problems with the developer's plans, and she doesn't think the developer will be able to satisfy alliance members by tweaking its existing plan.

"Anything that's even remotely similar to what they showed us on April 3 would be unacceptable to the whole community," Garner said.

Her specific concerns include:

n A through street that would link Ferncliff Avenue to Peters Creek Road.

n Density of the housing, particularly along stretches that are currently fairways.

n The retail portion of the project.

n The reduction of the 18-hole course to a smaller nine-hole version.

It's that last change that's the primary source of conflict.

"Anyone who takes golf seriously at all would not play that nine-hole course," Garner said.

Council member Fitzpatrick said he has some concerns about the developer's plans, too, especially with the through street. But he doesn't see the changes to the golf course as much of a concern.

"The big issue is that golf course had been for sale for several years," Fitzpatrick said. "I don't believe a golf course of 18 holes can make it because it hasn't been making it."

And he's frustrated about the neighborhood group's persistence in pressing the issue.

"We're seen as the enemy when we're really trying to help them the most," Fitzpatrick said. "If Countryside had sold that directly to a developer, we'd have no control over anything. We're trying very cautiously to help the citizens end up with something that does not denigrate their neighborhood."

Garner doesn't buy that explanation.

"If they really wanted to protect us, they'd kept it as a vision for recreation in Northwest," she said. "From the plan that was presented, there's nothing that could be any worse than what that is ... That's not protecting us at all."

The discussion over the Stanley name will continue Thursday, when the planning commission meets. The development debate picks up again after Aug. 1.

On the Net: Development of Countryside golf course:

www.roanokeva.gov, then click on "Departments" and "Planning Division"

Countryside Neighborhood Alliance: savecountryside.blogspot.com