diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Tile.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Tile.js
index b1e5d96c2f..e4219a074d 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Tile.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Tile.js
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@
  * about themselves -- such as the URL that they are related to, and their 
  * size - but do not add themselves to the layer div automatically, for 
  * example.
+ * 
+ * TBD 3.0 - remove reference to url in above paragraph
+ * 
  */
 OpenLayers.Tile = OpenLayers.Class.create();
 OpenLayers.Tile.prototype = {
@@ -22,7 +25,11 @@ OpenLayers.Tile.prototype = {
     /** @type OpenLayers.Layer */
     layer: null,
     
-    /** @type String url of the request */
+    /** TBD 3.0 
+     * @deprecated The base tile class does not need an url. This should be 
+     *              handled in subclasses. Does not belong here.
+     * 
+     * @type String url of the request */
     url:null,
 
     /** @type OpenLayers.Bounds */
@@ -38,7 +45,9 @@ OpenLayers.Tile.prototype = {
     /** @type Boolean */
     drawn: false,
 
-    /**
+    /** TBD 3.0 -- remove 'url' from the list of parameters to the constructor.
+     *             there is no need for the base tile class to have a url.
+     * 
     * @constructor
     *
     * @param {OpenLayers.Layer} layer
diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Tile/Image.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Tile/Image.js
index c3b4c8aab4..d930a3e0a9 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Tile/Image.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Tile/Image.js
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@
 OpenLayers.Tile.Image = OpenLayers.Class.create();
 OpenLayers.Tile.Image.prototype = 
   OpenLayers.Class.inherit( OpenLayers.Tile, {
+
+    /** @type String */
+    url: null,
     
     /** @type DOMElement img */
     imgDiv: null,
@@ -22,7 +25,10 @@ OpenLayers.Tile.Image.prototype =
      * @type DOMElement div */ 
     frame: null, 
 
-    /** 
+    /** TBD 3.0 - reorder the parameters to the init function to put URL 
+     *             as last, so we can continue to call tile.initialize() 
+     *             without changing the arguments. 
+     * 
     * @constructor
     *
     * @param {OpenLayers.Grid} layer
@@ -33,6 +39,9 @@ OpenLayers.Tile.Image.prototype =
     */
     initialize: function(layer, position, bounds, url, size) {
         OpenLayers.Tile.prototype.initialize.apply(this, arguments);
+
+        this.url = url;
+
         this.frame = document.createElement('div'); 
         this.frame.style.overflow = 'hidden'; 
         this.frame.style.position = 'absolute'; 
diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Tile/WFS.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Tile/WFS.js
index 5142f1c031..6406a48814 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Tile/WFS.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Tile/WFS.js
@@ -18,7 +18,10 @@ OpenLayers.Tile.WFS.prototype =
     /** @type Array(String) */
     url: null,
     
-    /** 
+    /** TBD 3.0 - reorder the parameters to the init function to put URL 
+     *             as last, so we can continue to call tile.initialize() 
+     *             without changing the arguments. 
+     * 
     * @constructor
     *
     * @param {OpenLayers.Layer} layer