CHAPTER 157
NAMING; RENAMING STREETS
Section
157.02 Inter-governmental cooperation
157.04 Changing names of streets
157.01 METHOD OF NAMING.
Streets shall be officially named or renamed by:
(A) A plat dedicating public right-of-way for an unnamed local street, collector street, principal or minor arterial;
(B) Action renaming a street pursuant to § 157.04; or
(C) Adoption of a resolution by the Governing Body concerning a specific street name.
(’87 Code, § 9-6-1) (Ord. 91-017)
157.02 INTER-GOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION.
The city shall decide every new or changed name of a street within its planning and platting jurisdiction. Where a street is or clearly will be both within and outside the city, the city shall confer with other concerned local governments and seek a mutually satisfactory name.
(’87 Code, § 9-6-2) (Ord. 91-017)
157.03 NAMING NEW STREETS.
(A) New street designations.
(1) New principal and minor arterial streets, as defined by the long range major street plan, shall be designated “Boulevard.”
(2) New local and collector streets which run essentially north-south shall be designated “Drive” or “Street.” New local and collector streets which run essentially east-west shall be designated “Road” or “Avenue.” However, see exceptions in divisions (A)(3) and (4) below.
(3) New local street cul-de-sacs may be designated “Court” or “Place.”
(4) New local streets which circle back on themselves may be designated “Circle.”
(5) In places where the appropriate street designation according to this division is not clear, the City Development Department and/or the Planning and Zoning Board shall determine the designation.
(6) Private streets shall have designation, but it shall not be boulevard, drive, street, road, avenue, court, place or circle.
(B) New street names.
(1) The name of a new street should be the name of an existing, nearby street which is essentially in line with it, unless the City Development Department and/or the Planning and Zoning Board find that the name continuation would clearly not be helpful to motorists searching for an address.
(2) Where division (B)(1) above does not apply, the following are basic city policies on public and private street naming:
(a) Alphabetic sequences of street names desirable;
(b) Groupings of names with similar content such as New Mexico cities, trees or president’s names are desirable;
(c) Names with double meanings are usually undesirable;
(d) Names which are difficult to spell or pronounce are usually undesirable;
(e) Names of over 13 letters and spaces are usually unacceptable. The street designation and quadrant will not be counted in the 13 letters and spaces.
(f) Names already in use for streets in the area covered by the long range major street plan are unacceptable unless the existing street is essentially in line with the new street;
(g) The city will normally accept developer proposals for street names which are consistent with this chapter, but the city reserves the right to name streets where the city finds that the developer’s name proposals are not consistent with city policies and the public welfare.
(’87 Code, § 9-6-3) (Ord. 91-017)
157.04 CHANGING NAMES OF STREETS.
(A) Procedure.
(1) Any person may apply to the Planning and Zoning Board through the City Development Department in the form of a formal request, i.e., petition to change the name of a street segment which is within the city.
(2) Applicants shall present a petition signed by 66% of the owners of property which abut the street segment in question, and the signatures have been verified.
(3) At least 30 days shall be allowed for written input from interested parties before a decision is reached. “Owner of record” means the owner as shown in the records of the County Assessor’s Office.
(4) The City Development Department shall request input from interested city departments and other agencies, including private utilities and the U.S. Postal Service.
(5) The City Development Department shall make the decision as to local and collector streets and major or minor arterials the following case: where public right-of-way is dedicated for new streets during the subdivision review process.
(6) In other cases involving local and collector streets and major or minor arterial streets, the Planning and Zoning Board shall make the decision after receiving a report from the City Development Department.
(7) An aggrieved party that owns property that abuts the street segment in question may appeal the final decision of the City Development Department as outlined in Title XV, Land Usage, Chapter 150, General Provisions, Article I, Administration and Enforcement, Section 150.08, Appeals.
(B) Criteria.
(1) A street name shall be changed only if the decision maker finds that the public benefit clearly outweighs the public confusion and cost which would be created by the name change.
(2) Continuous major or minor arterial streets, local and collector streets should have the same name throughout the urban area. However, the benefit of this clarity must be weighted against the confusion of changing addresses which are in use.
(C) Fees. The city shall set a fee schedule to cover reasonable administrative expenses based on reasonable city cost of reviewing name change proposals, holding public meetings and hearings, and other expenses incidental to the process of street name change proposals and appeals thereof. Successful applicants shall also be charged a fee to cover the cost of street sign replacement.
(’87 Code, § 9-6-1) (Ord. 91-017; Am. Ord. 18-28; Am. Ord. 21-04)