Chapter 12.03
ROAD ADDRESSING AND NAMING
Sections:
12.03.020 Findings and purpose.
12.03.010 Authority.
A. Address Number Assignment Authority. Jefferson County, through the addressing official, shall have the authority and responsibility to assign address numbers and to correct conflicting existing address numbers to access points for dwellings, businesses and utility facilities and secondary addresses as provided by Section 12.03.050.
B. Road Naming Authority. Jefferson County, through the addressing official, shall have the authority to and shall assign road names and shall change existing road names for all roads requiring names as provided in Section 12.03.060. (Ord. O-005-12 § 1 (Exh. A) (part): Ord. O-181-02 Exh. A (part))
12.03.020 Findings and purpose.
The board finds that it is necessary for the protection of the health, safety and welfare of the residents of Jefferson County to establish and enforce a county-wide, systematic address and road naming system to facilitate the location by emergency services and others of dwellings, businesses and utility facilities by address. Additional sites may be assigned a secondary address to locate minor utilities if the applicant demonstrates to the satisfaction of the addressing official that the address requested is necessary for emergency services to respond to a specific access point. The provisions of this chapter serve that end by providing procedures and standards for systematic county-wide address numbering and road naming and renaming that will eliminate the problems associated with the route and box system and incorrect and duplicate addresses and street names. (Ord. O-005-12 § 1 (Exh. A) (part): Ord. O-181-02 Exh. A (part))
12.03.030 Exceptions.
A. This chapter does not apply within the incorporated cities of Culver, Madras and Metolius or within the boundary of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation.
B. The county may enter into an agreement with any of the cities within the county to establish or implement compatible road naming and numbering criteria within the established boundaries of such municipality. For cities where such an agreement exists, the extension used in the address shall conform to the standards used in that city on all new or renamed roads within the city limits or urban growth boundary (UGB). Addresses on new or re-named roads within one mile of the UGB shall be assigned using the city standard if, in the determination of the addressing official, the road is an extension of a city road or would be absorbed into the UGB in the foreseeable future. (Ord. O-005-12 § 1 (Exh. A) (part): Ord. O-181-02 Exh. A (part))
12.03.040 Definitions.
A. “Access point” means the location where the primary driveway providing emergency service to the subject dwelling, business or utility facility intersects a federal, state, county, local access or private road.
B. “Address” means:
1. An address shall consist of a number, directional prefix, and road name and extension. The address number shall be set at the access point.
2. The directional prefix shall be NW, NE, SE, or SW as shown on Standard Drawings for Addressing except that those roads on the north/south or east/west base lines shall have a directional prefix of “N,” “S,” “E” or “W” as appropriate. For example North Adams Drive, South Adams Drive, West Ashwood Lane and East Ashwood Road. The directional prefix shall be the only directional reference allowed in the address.
3. Addresses shall be an even number on the north and west sides of a road and shall be an odd number on the south and east sides of a road. For roads having curved or circular alignments, the odd/even orientation shall be set at the terminus closest to the address base line and continue through the entire alignment of the road.
4. The extensions following the road name shall conform to the following standards:
a. North/south roads with straight alignments shall be called “drives.”
b. East/west roads with straight alignments shall be called “lanes.”
c. Cul-de-sacs or dead-end roads shall be called “courts” or “place.”
d. Roads of reduced right-of-way of less than one thousand (1,000) feet shall be called “terraces.”
e. Curving roads shall be called “roads.”
f. Roads that are four lanes or more shall be called “boulevards.”
g. Existing roads that begin at and circle back onto the same road shall be called “loops.”
C. “Addressing official” means the department or person authorized by the board to assign and correct address numbers and road names.
D. “Board” means the Jefferson County board of county commissioners.
E. “Business” means a nonresidential structure housing a legally sighted commercial operation.
F. “Commercial lessee” means a lessee occupying a structure or portion of a structure having a separate street address as defined herein for business purposes under a lease of one-year duration or more.
G. Continuing Road Alignment. If in the opinion of the addressing official a road is currently connected or will be connected to form a continuation of a common alignment, the combined segments shall be considered one road and share a common name.
H. “County grid system” means the coordinate system for address numbering which covers all lands within unincorporated Jefferson County exclusive of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation.
1. The address numbers in the grid system shall increase as they traverse from their base line at the rate of one thousand (1,000) address intervals per section or approximately 5.28 running feet of road for each address number from the section line nearest the base line from which said road is addressed.
2. On north/south roads, the addresses shall be numbered in accordance with their location on the grid system, which begins with 0 on the east-west base line as shown in Standard Drawings for Addressing and runs north consecutively to 13000 N and south consecutively to 17000 S.
3. On east/west roads, the addresses shall be numbered in accordance with their location on the grid system, which begins with 0 on the north-south base line as shown in Standard Drawings for Addressing and runs west consecutively to 35000 W and east consecutively to 37000 E.
4. The north-south and east-west base lines shall be those indicated in Standard Drawings for Addressing.
I. “County road” means a public road adopted into the county road system by order or resolution.
J. “Cul-de-sac” or “dead-end road” means a road less than one thousand three hundred twenty (1,320) feet in length having one end open to traffic.
K. “Dwelling” means a legally sited permanent structure or portion thereof approved for residential use.
L. “East/west road” means a road that runs predominately east and west. Roads that lie predominately at an angle greater than forty-five (45) degrees from due north or due south shall be numbered as east/west roads.
M. “Grid lines” are a part of the county grid system and run west to east and south to north for the entire width and length of the county. These lines are used as reference points to determine the numerical portion of an address that is assigned to dwellings or other structures. (See “Standard Drawings for Addressing.”)
N. “Local access road” means a public road that is not a county, state or federal road.
O. “North/south road” means a road that runs predominantly north and south. Roads that lie predominantly at an angle less than forty-five (45) degrees from due north or due south shall be numbered as north/south roads.
P. “Private road” means a road located on a private right-of-way for road purposes created by a recorded easement or other instrument and not open to the public.
Q. “Public road” means a road over which the public has a right of use that is a matter of public record.
R. “Secondary address” means an address, not associated with a dwelling, business, or utility facility, assigned to direct emergency services to a specific access point for the location of minor utilities including but not limited to hydrants, transformers, valve clusters and drainage structures.
S. “Structure” means a legally sited building used as a dwelling, business, or utility facility and constructed under a building permit.
T. “Standard Drawings for Addressing” shall mean the current Standard Drawings for Addressing as adopted by the board and available through the office of the addressing official.
U. “Utility facility” shall mean a major improvement such as a cell tower, pump station or power sub-station operated by a public or quasi-public entity to serve the public. (Ord. O-005-12 § 1 (Exh. A) (part): Ord. O-181-02 Exh. A (part))
12.03.050 Road addressing.
A. Procedure for New Addresses. When a building permit is issued for a new dwelling, business or utility facility the addressing official shall assign an address number based on the location of the access point on the county grid system. Notice of the assignment shall be provided in accordance with subsection (C)(6) of this section.
B. Standards for New Addresses.
1. Access points on cul-de-sacs shall be numbered along the centerline of the traveled way in a consecutive alternating sequence with even and odd numbers, as illustrated in the Standard Drawings for Addressing.
2. Access points on roads with curving alignments shall be numbered along the centerline of the traveled way. The beginning address for the alignment shall be set at the end closest to its base line as illustrated in the Standard Drawings for Addressing.
3. Each new single-family dwelling shall have one address number.
4. New duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes shall be given an address number for each living unit ascending in increments of two from the base line and shall be odd or even in accordance with the normal addressing for the road.
5. New apartment complexes shall be assigned a single address at their access point. When multiple apartment buildings share a common access, each building shall be assigned a letter beginning with A for the building closest to the access point and progressing through the alphabet in order of their position relative to the access point. Each individual apartment shall be assigned a separate number. Bottom floor apartments shall be numbered in a one hundred (100) series, second floor apartments shall be numbered in a two hundred (200) series, third floor apartments shall be numbered in a three hundred (300) series, etc. The apartment numbers shall increase from left to right facing the front of the apartment beginning with building A.
6. Mobile home parks shall be assigned a single address at the access point. Each space shall be assigned a separate number beginning at the space closest to the access point. Space numbers on interior ways shall be numbered even on the north and west side of the way(s) and numbered odd on the south and east side of the way(s).
7. Commercial multi-unit complexes shall be assigned a single address at the access point. When multiple buildings share a common access, each building shall be assigned a letter beginning with A for the building closest to the access point and progressing through the alphabet in order of their position relative to the access point. Each individual suite shall be assigned a separate number. Initial suite numbers shall begin at the emergency access point and be assigned at sufficient intervals to allow for the future addition of suites. Bottom floor suites shall be numbered in a one hundred (100) series, second floor suites shall be numbered in a two hundred (200) series, third floor suites shall be numbered in a three hundred (300) series, etc. Suites fronting on interior hallways shall be numbered even on the left and odd on the right as oriented to the emergency access point. Suites accessed from the outside of the building shall increment in a clockwise direction. For the purposes of this chapter, businesses including but not limited to coffee kiosks and trailer mounted kitchens that require permanent connection to a utility shall be considered a separate building and addressed accordingly.
8. Addressing issues not specifically covered under this code shall be resolved by the addressing official, after consultation with the fire marshal, in a manner that does not conflict with the standards set in this code.
9. At the discretion of the addressing official, a business with multiple facilities not sharing a common access point may be assigned secondary addresses for the purpose of directing emergency services to a specific location on a complex development.
10. Access points not fronting on a road of record as a federal, state, county, city or local access road must demonstrate access conforming to the standards set in Chapter 12.18 and located on a recorded legal access in a form acceptable to the addressing official prior to the issuance of an address.
C. Procedures and Standards for Changing Existing Road Addresses. The standards set in subsection (B)(2) of this section shall apply. In addition, the following procedures and standards shall apply to the changing of existing address numbers:
1. The changing of an existing address number may be initiated by the addressing official or by a complete application submitted by the property owner or any public agency that may be affected by the address number.
2. All changes in address numbers shall conform to the county grid system and the standards for address numbers set forth in subsection (B)(2) of this section. Any application or proposed change not in conformance with these standards shall be denied.
3. An existing address number may be changed by the addressing official if it is not in conformance with the county grid system and the standards for address numbers set forth in subsection (B)(2) of this section. Proposed address number changes shall be carried out pursuant to the procedures set forth in subsection C of this section. Address numbers assigned or changed in conjunction with the renaming of a road shall be incidental to the road naming process under Section 12.03.060.
4. Applications to change an address number shall be made to the addressing official and shall include, at a minimum, the following:
a. Name of applicant;
b. Location of access point, structure tax lot number and tax account number;
c. Public road or legal access frontage;
d. Existing address number;
e. The address of adjacent parcels including those on the opposite side of the road;
f. Reason for address number change; and
g. Fee, if any, as established by the board.
5. The addressing official shall evaluate any proposed change to determine whether it conforms to the standards set forth in subsection B of this section. If it does not, the application shall be denied. If the proposed address change was initiated by the owner and is verified by the addressing official, the process shall proceed in accordance with subsections (C)(5) and (6) of this section. Otherwise, if the addressing official determines that the application is consistent with the standards set forth in subsection B of this section, it shall proceed consistent with the procedures set out in subsection C of this section.
6. Notice.
a. Notice of a proposed address number change shall be provided to the property owner. The notice shall inform the property owner of the county’s intent to change the subject address thirty (30) days from the date of the notice and the reason for the change.
b. The property owner shall be given ten (10) calendar days from the date of the notice to comment in writing on the proposal.
c. Persons receiving notice under subsection (C)(6) of this section shall promptly notify any tenants or other occupants of the affected property of the proposed address change.
d. Within ten (10) calendar days of receipt of timely comments, notice shall be sent to commenting owners informing them of whether the proposed address number change was adjusted in response to their comments. In cases where proposed address number changes are adjusted in response to comments, the corrected address number shall become effective as of the effective date proposed in the original notice of proposed address change.
e. Unless the addressing official determines that the address change is unjustified through the review, notice and comment process the address shall become effective thirty (30) days from the date of the notice provided for in subsection (C)(6) of this section.
f. The addressing official shall notify the offices of the county clerk, county assessor, road department, postmaster and any affected public safety departments of a changed address number within ten (10) days of the date the new number becomes effective.
D. Posting of Address Numbers.
1. General Requirements.
a. All access points for structures located outside the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, the incorporated cities of Culver, Madras and Metolius shall display an address number consistent with the standards set in this section.
b. Such address numbers shall be permanently affixed in a location on the property that is clearly visible at the access point.
c. Where multiple houses are accessed from a common driveway, the address shall also be displayed at the point where the individual driveway splits from the common alignment and on the house or improvement in a location clearly visible as the house or improvement is approached.
d. The address sign(s) shall be displayed in conformance with the current Standard Drawings for Addressing.
e. Lettered buildings shall display the letter in contrasting letters eight inches high at a point clearly visible as the building is approached from the access point.
f. The owner may choose to place additional signs; provided, that said signs comply with applicable Jefferson County Codes and the information displayed is consistent with the assigned address.
g. All structures under construction shall display a street address number prior to beginning construction and/or storing combustible materials at the site. The numbers as displayed shall conform to the requirements in subsections (D)(1)(a) through (e) of this section, except that the posting shall be in block letters four inches high and mounted on a contrasting background in accordance with Oregon Specialty Codes and clearly visible from the access point.
h. Address numbers assigned or changed by the addressing official to existing structures must be permanently displayed within thirty (30) calendar days from the date on which the address becomes effective, as provided in subsection (C)(5) of this section.
i. Address numbers assigned by the addressing official as a result of a building permit must be permanently displayed before occupancy or use. At the time of final inspection of a new structure, the building official or his designee shall verify that assigned address numbers have been affixed as required above.
j. Each owner or commercial lessee shall be jointly and severally responsible for ensuring that the address number as assigned or changed by the county is permanently displayed and maintained in accordance with the requirements of subsection D of this section.
2. Failure to display and maintain an address number in conformance with the requirements set forth in subsection D of this section, or the display of an address number other than one assigned or changed in accordance with the provisions of this section, shall be a violation enforceable under Section 12.03.070. (Ord. O-48-18 § 3 (Exh. A), 2018; Ord. O-005-12 § 1 (Exh. A) (part): Ord. O-181-02 Exh. A (part))
12.03.060 Road naming.
A. Road Naming Standards.
1. Road Names. The proposed road name shall:
a. Be limited to a maximum of two words totaling twenty (20) characters.
b. Not duplicate existing road names, except for continuations of existing roads.
c. Not sound so similar to other roads as to be confusing.
d. Not use compass directions such as North, East, South, etc., as part of the road name.
e. Not use names which include extensions such as Avenue, Loop, Way, Place, etc., as part of the road name.
f. Improve or clarify the identification of the area.
g. Use historical names, when possible.
h. Reflect a consensus of sentiment of affected owners and occupants, when possible, subject to the other standards contained in subsection A of this section.
i. Numbers in road names shall be limited to the use of county road numbers for unnamed roads.
j. Roads continuing on the same alignment, as defined in Section 12.03.040(G), shall have the same name.
2. Name conflict resolution. In choosing which road name to change as between two or more existing roads with the same or similar names (affected roads), the address official shall consider the following factors:
a. The number of properties, developed and undeveloped, abutting each affected road;
b. The length of time a name has been in use to designate each affected road and whether the name used to designate each road has any historic significance;
c. Whether one affected road as named is relatively better known by the general public than the other affected road or roads as named;
d. Any showing that a proposed road name change would be relatively more burdensome to abutting property owners than if another affected road name were changed; and
e. Conformance with subsection A of this section.
B. Unnamed Roads. Unnamed public and private roads and other roadways which provide legal access to three or more tax lots on which structures, required to be addressed under Section 12.03.050(A), may be legally sited shall be assigned a name in accordance with the procedures in this section.
In the case of roads designated on the county road map with numbers only, the road number shall be the road name unless and until a formal road name is requested and assigned under this section. County roads are assigned numbers less than one thousand (1,000), local access roads are assigned numbers from three thousand (3,000) to three thousand nine hundred ninety-nine (3,999), federal roads shall use the name or number assigned by the federal agency with jurisdiction over the road.
C. Procedures for Naming New Roads.
1. Application.
a. The naming of a road may be initiated by the addressing official, the planning commission, the board, or through a complete application submitted by owners of parcels with existing or potential access points on the road, developers of property served by the road, or public agencies which may be affected by road names.
b. An application to name a road shall be submitted to the addressing official and shall include, at a minimum, the following:
i. Name of applicant;
ii. Location of road by description and map;
iii. Legal status of road, if known;
iv. Proposed road name, with two alternate proposed names;
v. Reason for name request;
vi. Petition(s) attached, if any; and
vii. Fee, if any, as established by the board.
2. Staff Review and Road Name Assignment. The addressing official shall review road name applications and shall assign road names under the following procedure:
a. Verify legal status of road with the county clerk’s office and road department.
b. Check proposed road name(s) against the current list of recognized road names to avoid duplication or confusing similarity with road names that are existing, or approved for preliminary land divisions.
c. Perform a field check, when necessary.
d. Assist the applicant or other affected person(s) to find alternate names when required.
e. Notify affected departments and agencies of the road name application, and request comments.
f. Review and consider all comments submitted.
g. Assign a road name in accordance with the standards set forth in subsection A of this section.
3. Notice.
a. Applications accompanied by a petition proposing the road name, signed by one hundred (100) percent of the owners of parcels with access points served by the road, reviewed by the addressing official and found to conform to the requirements of subsection A of this section shall proceed as described in subsection (C)(7) of this section.
b. Road names submitted during the review of a subdivision containing new roads shall be reviewed by the addressing official for compliance with the requirements of subsection A of this section. When identified conflicts are resolved with the developer’s representative, the approved road names shall be reserved. Upon recording of the final plat, the road names shall become permanent and the process shall proceed to subsection (C)(8) of this section.
c. Notice of all other proposed name assignment(s) shall be sent to all persons owning property with existing or potential access points on the affected road. Such notice shall be sent within ten (10) working days of the receipt of a complete application, or other action initiating the proposed road name assignment.
d. Persons receiving notice under subsection (C)(3)(c) of this section shall promptly notify any tenants or other occupants of the affected property of the proposed name assignment.
e. Any person receiving notice under this section may comment in writing on the proposed name within ten (10) calendar days from the date of the notice.
4. Notice of Staff Decision. Following assignment of a road name by the addressing official, notice of the road name assignment shall be sent to all persons entitled to notice under subsection (C)(3)(c) of this section.
5. Appeal. Affected property owners and occupants shall have the right to appeal the assignment of a road name by the addressing official to the Jefferson County board of commissioners. Such appeals shall be adjudicated based upon the provisions of this section. Affected property owners and occupants shall have ten (10) calendar days from the date of the staff decision in which to file an appeal. Issues on appeal shall be limited to whether the addressing official correctly applied the criteria set forth herein. The decision of the board of commissioners shall be final.
6. A road name assignment becomes final when no further right of appeal established herein is possible. Upon the road name assignment becoming final, the board shall sign an order establishing the road name as assigned by the addressing official or as resolved by appeal.
7. The affected property owners and occupants shall have sixty (60) calendar days from the date of the board order of road name assignment to begin using the road name.
8. Notice of Decision. Following the order of the board naming a road, the addressing official shall:
a. Notify the applicant requesting the road name of the action; and
b. Send copies of the order naming the road to the following:
i. Road department.
ii. Assessor’s office and tax office.
iii. Postmaster.
iv. Planning department.
v. County clerk’s office.
vi. Affected telephone and other utilities.
vii. Affected fire department(s).
viii. Local school district(s).
ix. Emergency services, i.e., police, fire, 911, etc.
c. File the original order naming a road with the county clerk.
d. Publish a list of changed road names in a newspaper of general circulation designated for the purpose by the board.
D. Procedures and Standards for Changing Existing Road Names.
1. An existing road name may be changed by the addressing official if the existing name:
a. Duplicates a preexisting road name within the area governed by this chapter;
b. Sounds like or is spelled so similarly to a preexisting road name in the area governed by this chapter as to cause confusion between the two roads;
c. Is known by more than one name;
d. Is different than the name of the road of which it is a continuation; or
e. Is not consistent with county road naming standards set forth in this section.
2. An existing road name may be changed by the addressing official if a complete application and petition signed by a majority of the owners of parcels having access point(s) on the road is received by the addressing official.
3. Proposed name changes shall proceed under the process specified under subsection C of this section. (Ord. O-005-12 § 1 (Exh. A) (part): Ord. O-181-02 Exh. A (part))
12.03.070 Violation.
The naming or renaming of a road, or the numbering of or failure to number a structure, in violation of any provisions of this chapter is a Class A violation. (Ord. O-005-12 § 1 (Exh. A) (part): Ord. O-181-02 Exh. A (part))