Chapter 12.12
ADDRESSING AND GRID SYSTEM
Sections:
12.12.020 Authority and responsibility.
12.12.040 Master addressing grid system map.
12.12.050 Designation of county roads.
12.12.060 Denoting county roads.
12.12.070 Address features of structures and unimproved property.
12.12.010 Purpose and scope.
The purpose of this chapter is to establish and maintain a uniform addressing and location system for the assignment of road names and house numbers to structures to better serve Adams County citizens with emergency services (E911) and allow for United States Postal Service delivery, where available. The scope applies to all structures within the unincorporated areas of Adams County and includes those within the incorporated town of Hatton. (Ord. O-03-23 § 1)
12.12.020 Authority and responsibility.
A. Adams County Board of Commissioners. The board of county commissioners shall establish rules and procedures for the system’s maintenance by adoption of ordinances relating to such maintenance and shall have final authority for settling grievances.
B. Adams County Building and Planning Department. The building and planning department is authorized and empowered to assign and/or change numerical designations of structures and unimproved property as specified in Section 12.12.070. The department is authorized and empowered to promulgate reasonable rules and regulations to implement and effect this chapter and to insure the proper operation of the addressing and grid system. Upon request, the department shall assign numerical designations for structures and unimproved real property. The department shall be responsible for the preliminary determination of all addressing inside of the designated grid system (including the town of Hatton). Said preliminary determinations shall be made at the time of building permit application.
C. Adams County Enhanced 911 Emergency Services (E911). The E911 MSAG coordinator shall provide overall system coordination, including the maintenance of the official E911 map, a master street addressing guide (MSAG) master list, and will provide assistance to other agencies involved in the system’s development and implementation.
D. Adams County Public Works Department. The public works department shall determine the location of accesses onto public roads, per RCW 36.75.130, and shall be responsible for updating and maintaining road identification signs and county road maps.
E. Adams County GIS. The GIS department shall provide overall map coordination and will provide assistance to other agencies involved in the system’s development and implementation. (Ord. O-03-23 § 1)
12.12.030 Definitions.
As used in this chapter:
“Building” means any structure having a roof supported by columns or walls and intended for shelter, housing, or enclosure of any individual, animal, process, equipment, goods, or materials of any kind.
“Contrasting” means to arrange or display in such a way that highlights or displays differences between the lightest and darkest colors.
“County road” means a public roadway of whatever sort, including, but not limited to, avenues, boulevards, circles, courts, drives, lanes, loops, places, roads, streets and ways, which is capable of carrying vehicular traffic and has been accepted into the county road system by the county engineer in front of the board of commissioners.
“Department” means the Adams County building and planning department.
“Driveway approach” means any area, construction or facility between the public or private roadway and private property to provide access for vehicles from the roadway to serve up to two lots, tracts, or parcels, except as provided herein.
“Improved property” means property with structures requiring addresses.
“Primary access” means the principal means of gaining vehicular access to a parcel of land, regardless of the relative length of the parcel’s property line adjacent to the road or private road serving the parcel.
“Private road” means a private roadway or lane providing access to at least three or more addressable buildings that are one thousand feet or less in length from the point of access off the county road.
“Structure” means any object constructed or erected which is affixed to the ground, such as towers, dwellings, barns and storage buildings, but not including fences or walls used as fences.
“Unimproved property” means any lot, tract, parcel or plot of land on which is located no structure or utilities. (Ord. O-03-23 § 1)
12.12.040 Master addressing grid system map.
A. The Adams County master addressing grid system map (hereinafter referred to as “master addressing map”) shall divide Adams County at Providence Road as point of beginning (P.O.B.) for north and south direction of travel from Providence Road and at Lauer Road as point of beginning (P.O.B.) for east and west direction of travel from Lauer Road.
B. The master addressing grid system map shall impose upon Adams County a numbering and grid system being one hundred numbers per mile, fifty on each side of the road for each mile away from the P.O.B. with even numbers being assigned to the north and west sides, odd numbers assigned to the east and south sides of the road.
C. The master addressing map is adopted as part of this chapter and incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein.
D. The master addressing grid system map shall be issued by the Adams County GIS department with copies on file in the offices of Adams County building and planning, Adams County sheriff, Adams County auditor, Adams County assessor, and Adams County public works. (Ord. O-03-23 § 1)
12.12.050 Designation of county roads.
A. County roads and private named roads running predominantly north and south shall be prefixed with the abbreviated name of N or S based on the direction of travel from Providence Road.
B. County roads and private named roads running predominantly east and west shall be prefixed with the abbreviated name of E or W based on the direction of travel from Lauer Road.
C. Improved property shall be addressed from the point of primary access at the county road or private road. All public/private roads in Adams County shall be signed by the public works department and shall display the proper road name. No homemade or manufactured road signs shall be erected and may be removed by Adams County public works when located within the county road right-of-way.
D. No road names, either public or private, shall be duplicated, similar in name pronunciation, including foreign language translations (moon—luna) unless the road is a continuation of an existing county road. (Ord. O-03-23 § 1)
12.12.060 Denoting county roads.
A. Whenever a county road is added to the road system and/or whenever a county road is named or renamed, the clerk of the board of county commissioners shall promptly notify the sheriff’s office and the building and planning department.
B. Adams County road name signs will be posted by the Adams County public works department as designated by the master addressing grid system map.
C. Whenever a private road is added to the address system the final naming authorization shall reside with the building and planning department. (Ord. O-03-23 § 1)
12.12.070 Address features of structures and unimproved property.
A. Road Designations. Whenever feasible, roads, both public and private, shall be designated as follows:
1. Road, drive, street, avenue, boulevard, and highway: a straight or irregular connecting roadway that does not dead-end or, if dead-ended, is likely to be extended to another named road.
2. Court, place, way, and lane: a road that is dead-ended and is not likely to be extended.
B. Address Origin. All addresses in Adams County shall be based on an increase of one hundred numbers to the mile, fifty on each side of the road, for each mile away from the P.O.B; Providence and Lauer Roads.
1. The geographic direction of a way-of-travel shall be determined by observing its overall length and noting its general or predominant direction through the county.
2. Improved property that is better serviced by having an addressing system consistent with the city or town it is bordering can be addressed using that city’s or town’s addressing grid in place of the above-mentioned county addressing grid.
C. Address Determination.
1. Individual address numbers shall be determined by their distance as measured to the nearest one-one hundredth of a mile away from the address origin of the road to the structure’s primary access point onto the roadway.
2. A road with two structures shall be considered a driveway approach for addressing purposes unless potential new construction would dictate otherwise.
3. A road with three or more structures shall become a private road and shall be named for addressing purposes.
D. Address Design.
1. The last digit of the address will determine on which side of the road the structure is located. Even numbers indicate the structure is on the north or west side of the road, odd numbers indicate the south or east side.
2. The addition of a number unit designation to the end of the address indicates a multifamily dwelling or multiple single-family occupancy structures on a single parcel, such as unit A, B, C, Apartment No. 1, 2, 3, etc.
3. A trailer park shall be designated as Row A, Lot 1, etc.
E. Procedures for Final Address Determinations. The procedures for the determination of final addresses shall be as follows:
1. Upon building and/or approach permit application, the building department shall preliminarily determine the most logical address for said application either by grid system or by milepost measurements.
2. Said preliminary address determinations shall be reviewed by the Adams County building and planning department, Adams County public works department, and the Adams County E911 MSAG coordinator. Final approval and the release of any address shall not be permitted until a signed address permit (Attachment A to the ordinance codified in this chapter and adopted by reference) has been issued by the Adams County building and planning department.
F. Change Notification. Notification of changes to property, located in an area that becomes annexed to or from the county, readdressed for any reason or for any significant changes (including but not limited to change of fire, police or ambulance district responsible for response to that area) must be provided to the Adams County E911 MSAG coordinator at least thirty days in advance of the effective date of said change. (Ord. O-03-23 § 1)
12.12.080 Address display.
The following requirements are intended to complement the currently adopted International Building Code Section 502.1, Site Address:
A. Each property owner shall display and maintain the address number assigned to the property, structure, unit, or improvement.
B. Display of a uniform address marker inside the owner’s property line at the primary access is required in the following circumstances:
1. The addressed structure is located more than one hundred feet from the road designated in the address.
2. The addressed structure is not clearly visible from the road designated in the address.
C. Display of a numerical address marker is recommended in the following circumstance:
1. The addressed structure is located one hundred feet or less from the road designated in the address and is clearly visible from said road.
D. Address numbers displayed on a structure shall be a minimum of four inches in height, with a minimum stroke width of one-half inch and shall be placed in a location that can be easily identified from the roadside from which the building is addressed. For maximum daylight visibility, the numbers shall contrast with the background they are placed upon. For maximum nighttime visibility, the numbers shall be illuminated or receive illumination from a nearby light source.
E. Corner lot addresses shall be displayed facing the road designated in the assigned address.
F. Shared Access. Addressable structures or sites located along an unnamed driveway approach or private road must be posted at the intersection of the driveway approach or private road and the county road designated in the assigned address. Additional posting may be required at the location of any subsequent intersections along the private road. The structure or site shall display posting at the structure location or the site. (Ord. O-03-23 § 1)
12.12.090 Fees.1
A. Address Number Plates. Costs associated with the assigning of new addresses for structures and the issuance of house number plates by the building department shall be borne by the addressee at a recoverable cost to Adams County as determined by the department’s master fee schedule. The cost of replacement of original plates (when necessary) shall also be borne by the addressee at a recoverable cost to Adams County as determined by the Adams County building and planning master fee schedule.
B. Official Address Grid System Maps. The official addressing grid system maps for the unincorporated areas of Adams County can be obtained from the building and planning department or public works department at a recoverable cost to Adams County as determined by each department’s master fee schedule. (Ord. O-03-23 § 1)
12.12.100 Criminal penalty.2
Any person, firm, corporation or other entity that violates any portion of this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than ninety days or by fine of not more than one thousand dollars or by both such fine and imprisonment. (Ord. O-03-23 § 1)
Code reviser’s note: Ord. O-03-23 numbered this section as 12.12.080. It has been editorially renumbered to avoid duplication of numbering.
Code reviser’s note: Ord. O-03-23 numbered this section as 12.12.090. It has been editorially renumbered to avoid duplication of numbering.