Chapter 12.20
DESIGNATION OF STREETS AND ROADS
Sections:
12.20.010 Road naming authority.
12.20.030 Procedures for naming new roads.
12.20.040 Procedures and standards for changing existing road names.
12.20.050 Violations and penalties.
12.20.010 Road naming authority.
(1) The city of Sisters, through the planning department, shall have the authority to and shall assign road names to roads requiring names as provided in this chapter.
(2) The city, through its planning department, shall have the authority to and shall change existing road names under the standards set forth in this chapter. [Ord. 272 § 4, 1995. Code 2002 § 12.16.010].
12.20.020 Unnamed roads.
All unnamed public and private roads and other roadways which provide access to three or more tax lots, or which are more than 1,320 feet in length, shall be assigned a name in accordance with the procedures in SMC 12.20.030. [Ord. 272 § 4, 1995. Code 2002 § 12.16.020].
12.20.030 Procedures for naming new roads.
(1) Application.
(a) The naming of a road may be initiated by the planning department, planning commission, the council, or by application of adjacent property owners, developers, or public agencies which may be affected by road names.
(b) An application to name a road shall be submitted to the planning department and shall include, at a minimum, the following:
(i) Name of applicant;
(ii) Location of road by description and/or 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 council.
(2) Notice of a proposed name assignment shall be sent to all persons owning property abutting the affected road or having an address on the affected road. Such notice shall be sent within 10 days of the receipt of an application, if any, or other action initiating the proposed road name assignment.
(3) Persons receiving notice under subsection (2) of this section shall promptly notify any tenants or other occupants of the affected property of the proposed name assignment.
(4) Any person receiving notice under subsection (2) of this section may comment in writing on the proposed name within 10 days from the date of the notice.
(5) Standards.
(a) General. The proposed road name shall:
(i) Be limited to a maximum of two words.
(ii) Not duplicate existing road names, except for continuations of existing roads.
(iii) Not sound so similar to other roads as to be confusing.
(iv) Not use compass directions such as “north,” “east,” “south,” etc., as part of the road name.
(v) Not use designations such as “loop,” “way,” “place,” etc., as part of the road name.
(vi) Improve or clarify the identification of the area.
(vii) Use historical names, when possible.
(viii) Reflect a consensus of sentiment of affected owners and occupants, when possible, subject to the other standards contained in this subsection.
(b) Particular Roads. The proposed road name shall also conform to the following standards:
(i) North/south roads shall be called “roads” or “streets.”
(ii) East/west roads shall be called “avenues.”
(iii) Roads dead-ending in a turnaround 1,000 feet or less from their beginning points shall be called “courts.”
(iv) Roads of reduced right-of-way or curving roads of less than 1,000 feet shall be called “lanes” or “terraces.”
(v) Curving roads longer than 1,000 feet shall be called “drives” or “trails.”
(vi) Roads that deviate slightly from the main course of a road with the same name, and are less than 1,000 feet in length, shall be called “places.”
(vii) Roads that are four lanes or more shall be called “boulevards.”
(viii) Historical roads may be called “market” roads.
(ix) Roads running at oblique angles to the four points of the compass, less than 1,000 feet in length, shall be called “ways.” (See Appendix “D,” attached to the ordinance codified in this chapter.)
(x) Roads that begin at and circle back onto the same road, or that are circular or semicircular, shall be called “circles” or “loops.”
(6) Staff Review and Road Name Assignment. The planning department 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 public works department.
(b) Check proposed road name(s) to avoid duplication or confusing similarity with other existing road names, with those on approved preliminary land divisions and with those approved for future use.
(c) Perform a field check, when necessary.
(d) Assist the applicant or other affected person(s) to find alternate names when required.
(e) Notify appropriate persons, 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 (5) of this section.
(7) Notice of Staff Decision. Following assignment of a road name by the planning department, notice of the road name assignment shall be sent to all persons entitled to notice under subsection (2) of this section.
(8) Appeal. Affected property owners and occupants shall have the right to appeal the assignment of a road name by the planning department. Such appeals shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the city of Sisters zoning procedures ordinance, except where the provisions of this subsection conflict with the procedures ordinance, in which case the provisions of this subsection shall apply. Affected property owners and occupants shall have 10 days from the date of the staff decision in which to file an appeal. Issues on appeal shall be limited to whether the planning department correctly applied the criteria set forth herein.
(9) A road name assignment becomes final when no further right of appeal established herein is possible. Within 10 days of the road name assignment becoming final, the city shall sign an order establishing the road name as assigned by the planning department.
(10) The affected property owners and occupants shall have 180 days from the date of the council order of road name assignment to begin using the road name.
(11) Notice of Decision. Following the order of the council naming a road, the planning department shall:
(a) Notify the applicant requesting the road name of the action;
(b) Send copies of the order naming the road to the following:
(i) Public works department.
(ii) Assessor’s office and tax office.
(iii) Postmaster.
(iv) County clerk’s office.
(v) Affected telephone and other utilities.
(vi) Affected fire department(s).
(vii) Local school district(s).
(viii) Emergency services, i.e., police, fire, 911, etc.;
(c) File the original order naming a road with the county clerk; and
(d) On a monthly basis, the planning department shall publish a list of changed road names in a newspaper of general circulation designated for the purpose by the city. [Ord. 272 § 4, 1995. Code 2002 § 12.16.030].
12.20.040 Procedures and standards for changing existing road names.
The following procedures and standards shall apply to the changing of existing road names:
(1) An existing road name may be changed by the planning department if the existing name:
(a) Duplicates a preexisting road name within the same postal Zip Code or geographic area;
(b) Sounds like or is spelled so similarly to a preexisting road name in the same postal Zip Code or geographic area 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 chapter.
(2) In choosing which road name to change as between two or more roads with the same or similar names (affected roads), the department 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.
(3) Proposed name changes shall proceed under the process specified under SMC 12.20.030. [Ord. 272 § 4, 1995. Code 2002 § 12.16.040].
12.20.050 Violations and penalties.
Any person violating any provisions of this chapter is punishable by a fine not to exceed $500.00. Every violation and each day that such violation persists is a separate violation. The remedies specified in this section shall not be deemed exclusive and, at the option of the city, the city may seek any other remedy available at law or equity including, without limitation, an injunction in any court of competent jurisdiction in the state to enjoin any violation of this chapter. The violator will be responsible for the city’s attorney fees and costs. [Ord. 503 § 2 (Exh. A), 2020].