Post your problem or question (we will get back to you)

[G$]

Post your problems and questions here. We will monitor and get back to
you. It would be great if volunteers could monitor and help as well.

[Andi]

I have run into a snag. I have found a point that is both an
auditorium/concert hall/theater/opera house FCode, an outdoor theater/
amphitheater FCode, and a Museum FCode all in one. So, which one do I
label it as?

[eko...@usgs.gov]

In this case you would set the Fcode to the primary function of the
building or in other words the function the building is used for
most.

As far as adding a point for each unique function of a building, that
only applies if the building contains separate entities not one entity
that serves multiple purposes. So if a building contained a fire
station and a police department each would get a point. Let me know
if you have further questions about this.

[aruth...@usgs.gov]

Are we considering Nursing Homes as a 'Hospital/Medical Center' FCode?

[aruth...@usgs.gov]

If a university has multiple buildings on campus, do I have one label
for the university or multiple labels for the buildings?

On Feb 8, 1:25 pm, "ekor...@usgs.gov" <ekor...@usgs.gov> wrote:

[eko...@usgs.gov]

No we would not label a nursing home as a hospital/medical center.
Although we are only collecting 30 structure FCodes, there are
hundreds of others in the structures data model. In this case
although we are not collecting it for this project there is a nursing
home/long term care FCode. Therefore labeling a nursing home as a
hospital/medical center would be incorrect.

How do you know if there is a label that better fits a feature you
find or if you should not add a point for a feature we aren't
collecting? Please go to the webpage below to access a chart of the
data model and all structure FCodes.

http://nationalmap.gov/structures.html

Click on "Structures Data Model". All of the different features are
found on the right of the chart broken into boxes by FType. Don't
feel like you'll need to look at all of the hundreds of features to
determine if it should be labeled as one of our 30 FCodes. In the
example of the nursing home, you would simply need to look in the box
title "Health and Medical FCode" which covers hospital/medical center
and nursing home/long term care and all other related FCodes.

If anyone has additional questions about this please ask.

[eko...@usgs.gov]

It is acceptable to collect one point for the campus labeled as
College/University.

Remember that this isn't always black and white and we make the best
decisions we can. If the appropriate action isn't clear, we'll talk
about it and come to the best decision. There may sometimes be more
than one way to portray a feature for GNIS as going through these old
points clearly shows.

[G$]

I posted the Structures Data Model on the VGI project web site in the
File Cabinet. Greg

[Andi]

If a campus building used to be a chapel, but a new building now
functions as the chapel, does that mean the first building should be
labeled 'Historic'?

On Feb 8, 1:37 pm, "ekor...@usgs.gov" <ekor...@usgs.gov> wrote:

[Andi]

Would a 'Municipal Court' be considered a 'Court House' FCode (to be
included) or a 'Local Government Facility' FCode (not to be included)?

[eko...@usgs.gov]

You should move the current GAZ point for Chapel to the current
location of the chapel. If the name of the chapel has changed, the
old name will become a variant and the new name will be the official
name. If there was no longer a chapel on campus, then that particular
GNIS ID would become "historic".

On Feb 8, 1:46 pm, Andi <arutherf...@usgs.gov> wrote:

[eko...@usgs.gov]

If it is a court it should be labeled as a court house.

[Andi]

There is a structure listed with one name in Potlatch, but an
authoritative website shows it actually has a different name. However,
the website does not have any information about it ever being called
the first name. Can the name in Potlatch still be changed to the one
listed on the website?

[eko...@usgs.gov]

Are you sure they are the same feature? If you cannot find any record
associating the old name with the new name they may not be the same
feature. Make sure to research the old name as thoroughly as
possible.

[Andi]

The authoritative website has an aerial image of the exact same structure (as well as same street to the south, same lake to the north, located in the same park complex--all labeled) that Potlatch is showing.

[eko...@usgs.gov]

What is the old name and what is the new name?  Even though they may have occupied the same building they are not necessarily the same feature. If they are unrelated the older point (assuming it no longer exists) should be designated as historical.  If you are updating the features that the new point should fall under then you would digitize a new point on the building.

[Andi]

Old Name: Hidden Hills Ice Arena. New Name: Slapshot Hockey Center

[eko...@usgs.gov]

Is the address for the old point Hidden Hills Ice Arena the same as the new place Slapshot Hockey Center?

[Andi]

There wasn't an address listed for Hidden Hills Ice Arena.

[eko...@usgs.gov]

I asked my boss and she said that because the function is the same (ice arena) and the location and building is the same, you can change the old point to reflect the new name.  However, always research these types of points first just in case they are not related.