Chapter 18.90
COWLITZ COUNTY ADDRESS AND ROAD NAME ORDINANCE
Sections:
18.90.070 Address methodology.
18.90.080 Street naming methodology.
18.90.090 Performance standards.
18.90.010 Title.
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Cowlitz County address and road name ordinance.” [Ord. 19-056 § 1, 6-4-19.]
18.90.020 Purpose and intent.
It is the intent of this chapter to provide an address and road naming system. Interpretation of what may not be clear in this chapter shall be according to the purpose and intent.
A. Public health, safety and general welfare for the citizens of Cowlitz County.
B. The methodology necessary for the systematic naming of roads and the numbering of structures in unincorporated Cowlitz County.
C. Provide a framework for the implementation of a uniform method of addressing for the dispatch of emergency services, including police, medical and fire responders and to aid in the delivery of mail, utility services and permitting.
D. To create consistency in review and approval of road names and addresses. [Ord. 19-056 § 1, 6-4-19.]
18.90.030 Applicability.
The regulations contained in this chapter shall apply to every roadway and parcel in unincorporated Cowlitz County. [Ord. 19-056 § 1, 6-4-19.]
18.90.040 Definitions.
“Address” means the physical location of structures within the community addressing system, which includes number, street name, city, state and zip code.
“Address number” means the numeric designation of an addressable structure or unit.
“Addressable structures or units” means, generally, the habitable or legally occupied structure on a lot, parcel or tract. As determined necessary by the Cowlitz County Building Official and/or Fire Marshal, this may include other structures for compliance with building and/or fire codes.
“Addressing scheme” means a generic term used to describe the address number system in any particular area.
“Building permit” means a permit issued by the Cowlitz County Building Official before any building construction activity can commence.
“Cardinal direction” means the basic compass directions of north, south, east and west, abbreviated as N, S, E, and W.
“Certificate of occupancy” means the document issued by the County Building Official in accordance with applicable building codes and other codes that allows the structure to be legally occupied for its intended use.
“Department” means the Department of Building and Planning of Cowlitz County.
“Directional” means a one- or two-letter descriptor within a road name consisting of any combination of the cardinal directions of north, south, east and west.
“Director” refers to the Director of Community Services of Cowlitz County.
“Driveway” means a means of vehicular access, beginning at the property line of a lot tract or parcel of land abutting a public or private road that provides access to an addressable structure or unit on that lot. A driveway may be shared by up to two lots, parcels or tracts. A driveway shall not be identified by a separate road name.
“Private roadway” means any vehicular access way designed or intended to serve three or more parcels or dwelling units or any commercial business, which has not been dedicated as a public roadway.
“Public road” means any road included in a right-of-way or easement dedicated to the public and accepted into the County road network. This definition also includes state highways. [Ord. 19-056 § 1, 6-4-19.]
18.90.050 Administration.
The Director, or their designee, shall be responsible for the naming of private roads and addressing. The Director has the responsibility to develop policies, implement and maintain maps and databases, and enforce the addressing and road naming standards as defined by this chapter. [Ord. 19-056 § 1, 6-4-19.]
18.90.060 Procedures.
A. All new and existing addressable structures and units within unincorporated Cowlitz County shall have a site address posted in accordance with the applicable provisions of the currently adopted building and fire codes and this chapter.
B. All existing site addresses not in conformity with the provisions of this chapter and/or that are contrary to the purpose and intent of this chapter shall be subject to change at the discretion of the Director.
C. An owner may wish to assign an address in advance of building permit issuance. An owner may also obtain an address outside of the land division or building permit process.
D. Addressing shall be completed by the Department of Building and Planning in accordance with the methodologies outlined in this chapter, as well as the adopted Addressing and Road Naming Manual, or as revised. Addressing may be completed as part of planning clearance as described in Department Administrative Policy No. 120-56, or as a stand-alone application. The following are the requirements for requesting an address from the Department of Building and Planning:
1. Completed original application form signed by the owner(s) of the property subject to the application or by a representative authorized to do so by written instrument executed by the owner(s) and filed with the application.
2. A recorded deed with a legal description including proof of legal access to a public road or proof of recorded access easement.
3. One copy of a scaled plot plan, showing the location of the proposed driveway and location of any structures on site.
4. The applicable fee adopted by the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) for the application.
E. All newly created public roads and newly created private roads shall be designated with approved road names prior to final approval. Road naming and road name change procedures shall be completed in accordance with the methodology in this chapter, as well as the most current adopted Addressing and Road Naming Manual, and in accordance with RCW 36.75.040, 36.80.030 and 36.80.040.
F. Existing roads with names that do not support the purpose and intent of this chapter may be renamed at the discretion of the Director with prior authorization from the County Engineer and Board of County Commissioners.
G. New Public or Private Road Name. The Director may consider a request to name a new public or private road upon receipt of an application for a road name. The following are the requirements of a road name application from the Department of Building and Planning:
1. Completed original application form signed by the owner(s) of the property subject to the application or by a representative authorized to do so by written instrument executed by the owner(s) and filed with the application.
2. The applicable fee(s) adopted by the BOCC for the application.
3. Signed approval of the County Engineer or designee shall be required on any application for naming or renaming of a new or existing public road.
H. Changing Private Road Name. The Director may consider a request to change the name of a private street or road upon receipt of an application for a road name. The following are the requirements of a road name change application from the Department of Building and Planning:
1. Completed original application form signed by the owner(s) of the property subject to the application or by a representative authorized to do so by written instrument executed by the owner(s) and filed with the application.
2. A petition in support of the name change signed by 100 percent of the property owners with access rights to the private road or street.
3. The applicable fee(s) adopted by the BOCC for the application.
4. A signed approval of the County Engineer or designee shall be required on any application for changing a private road name which also involves either existing or needed permissions for a road approach to a public road under RCW 36.75.130. [Ord. 19-056 § 1, 6-4-19.]
18.90.070 Address methodology.
A. The addressing scheme in Cowlitz County is based on distance from an established point of origin. For all roadways that extend from Interstate 5, Interstate 5 shall be considered the point of origin for the roadway. Any road that extends in multiple directions from Interstate 5 shall have a directional indicator added to its name to identify which direction from Interstate 5 the road travels.
B. For additional roads not extending from Interstate 5, the point of origin is considered the centerline of the road it branches from. The origin will be at the southerly end of north/south roads and the westerly end of east/west roads.
C. All addresses are determined by the mile and thousandths of a mile from the point of origin to the first access, business or residence requiring an address. For each mile, there are 1,000 potential addresses. Even numbers shall always be on the right side of all roads and odd numbers shall always be on the left side of all roads, facing the direction in which the number progresses. Where two or more addresses share an access point, the first address shall have the lower number, with addresses sequentially increasing, regardless of their distance from the road.
D. Addresses for corner lots shall be assigned based on the point of access. Address numbers shall only be displayed on the street from which access is taken. Addresses for circular roads shall be assigned in a counter-clockwise direction with even numbers on the right side of the road.
E. Mobile home parks and similar establishments shall designate each unit or space with a number in the address (i.e., No. 1, Space 1, etc.), unless the roadways within the establishment are developed as public or private roadways, in which case the units or spaces can be addressed from these roadways as specified in this chapter.
F. All other types of development sharing a single legal lot of record, such as apartments, duplexes, condominiums, office complexes, schools, hospital campuses, commercial shopping centers, etc., shall designate each building with a letter following the address (i.e., 101 Main Street, Building A). Building letter designations shall progress from left to right and/or nearest to farthest as the buildings are viewed from the named road or in a counter-clockwise order for loop configurations or as deemed appropriate by the Department during plan review.
G. Multi-unit buildings shall have number designations for each unit.
1. Numbering for each single level building shall start with one and proceed to the total number of units in the building.
2. Numbering for each multi-level building shall be assigned three-digit numbers (or four in buildings with 10 or more floors to each unit where the left-most digit(s) reflects the level of the unit (i.e., the first unit on the third floor shall be 301).
3. The unit number shall be appended to the building letter where multiple buildings exist (i.e., Apt B12, Suite B12, etc.).
4. Unit number designation shall progress in the same manner as the surrounding addresses progress viewed from the front side of the building. “Front side” is defined as the side from which the primary access (front door) to the units is located.
H. Multiple addresses may be assigned to a legal lot of record only when separate habitable structures, such as an accessory dwelling unit, is permitted. In this case the primary residence shall be assigned an address according to the methodology prescribed in this chapter. A secondary address may be assigned as determined appropriate by the Director to provide for public health and safety.
I. All roads that run through an incorporated area or that begin in an incorporated area and extend into the unincorporated area shall determine its point of beginning at the center line of the road or street it originates from. Addresses within incorporated area are not affected by this chapter; however, upon entering the unincorporated area, the mileage from the roads beginning shall take effect so that the distance to any address shall describe the distance in miles and thousandths of miles. In situations where one side of a road is in a city and addressed according to the city plan, and the other side of the road is in the county, or where small city and county segments alternate back and forth along a section of the road, the County may decide to address those sections of the road adjacent to the city consistent with the city plan to avoid confusion. [Ord. 19-056 § 1, 6-4-19.]
18.90.080 Street naming methodology.
A. Street Name Selection Criteria.
1. A street name shall be easily pronounced and recognized to avoid difficulties in emergency situations. Street names should be spelled the way they are pronounced.
2. Names tending to be confused as homonyms, having the same or similar pronunciation, but with different spellings are not acceptable (i.e., Smith, Smyth, etc.).
3. Duplicate street names shall not be used.
4. Names that are offensive shall be avoided.
5. Use of multiple suffixes shall be discouraged.
6. Use of frivolous or complicated words, or unconventional spelling in road names is discouraged.
B. Directional Indicator. Any road that extends in multiple directions from Interstate 5 shall have a directional indicator added to its name to identify which direction from Interstate 5 the road travels.
C. Suffixes. The following suffixes are suggested for naming a type of roadway. Other suffixes not listed below may be considered at the discretion of the Director provided they meet United States Postal Service guidelines.
Alley (ALY) – A narrow roadway between or behind a row of buildings. Typically substandard in width, designed to bisect a block for pedestrians and service vehicles.
Avenue (AVE) – A roadway or thoroughfare of greater than 1,000 feet, generally running east and west.
Bend (BND) – Roadway not exceeding 1,000 feet with at least one bend in it.
Bluff (BLF) – A roadway adjacent to a significant elevation change.
Boulevard (BLVD) – A roadway with a median.
Circle (CIR) – A roadway not exceeding 1,000 feet, such as a cul-de-sac or loop street that begins and circles back to terminate on the same road.
Court (CT) – A permanently closed roadway, not exceeding 1,000 feet, such as a cul-de-sac. Design provides for turning around.
Cove (CV) – A circular or oval inlet that dead ends.
Drive (DR) – A curvilinear roadway. Generally exceeding 1,000 feet.
Highway (HWY) – A primary state or federal route, suitable for heavy traffic volume.
Lane (LN) – A minor dead-end private roadway.
Loop (LOOP) – A cul-de-sac or circular roadway that begins and circles back to terminate on the same road.
Parkway (Pkwy) – A roadway with a median.
Place (PL) – A minor dead-end public or private roadway.
Plaza (PLZ) – A multi-use roadway with businesses and homes.
Point (PT) – A roadway adjacent to a waterway.
Road (RD) – Frequently travelled roadway, running in any direction.
Run (RN) – A long, dead-end roadway, with several bends.
Spur (SP) – A roadway that juts off another road and may or may not rejoin it.
Street (ST) – Common roadway, generally runs north and south.
Terrace (TER) – A curvilinear roadway, generally less than 1,000 feet.
Trace (TRCE) – A residential roadway not exceeding 1,000 feet.
Trail (TRL) – A roadway serving as a collector for one or more thoroughfares.
Way (WAY) – A minor roadway less than 1,000 feet in length. [Ord. 19-056 § 1, 6-4-19.]
18.90.090 Performance standards.
A. All property owners, commercial, industrial or residential, shall obtain their assigned address numbers from the Department, and shall post the assigned numbers in accordance with the adopted International Fire Code.
B. It shall be the duty of each property owner assigned a property number to comply with this chapter prior to occupancy of any structure on the property. [Ord. 19-056 § 1, 6-4-19.]
18.90.100 Enforcement.
A. Cowlitz County Department of Building and Planning is hereby charged with enforcement of this chapter.
B. Whenever a building is erected or located in Cowlitz County, it shall be the duty of the owner to procure an address from Cowlitz County Department of Building and Planning and to display the assigned number(s) following the guidelines in this chapter. A temporary sign displaying the County assigned number(s) shall be posted during construction.
C. No building permit shall be issued for any building until the owner has procured from Cowlitz County the official number for the premises. Final certificate of occupancy of any structure erected, repaired, altered or modified after the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter shall be withheld by Cowlitz County Department of Building and Planning until permanent and proper numbers have been affixed to said structure.
D. Existing addresses and road names that do not comply with the provisions of this chapter shall be brought into compliance when it is determined by the Director that conformance is necessary to ensure public safety and:
1. During the review of any building permit, subdivision, or land use application by the Department nonconforming site addresses, road names or other inconsistencies are identified.
2. During any code enforcement action by the Department where a nonconforming site address or road name is identified.
3. An inconsistent site address or road name is brought to the attention of the Department.
E. Should Cowlitz County be notified by the appropriate fire protection district in writing that any building, structure, or premises does not have an address as herein required, or is not correctly addressed, or said address is not displayed as required herein, the owner, agent or lessee of said building structure or premises shall be notified and required to place the address on said property in accordance with this chapter within a reasonable period of time as outlined below.
F. In the event the owner or occupant in charge of any house or building refuses to comply with the terms of this chapter by failing to affix the number assigned within 30 days after notification, or by failing within said period to remove any old numbers from the building entrance or elsewhere which may be confused with the number assigned thereto, the occupant shall be in violation of this chapter. In addition to other remedies provided in Cowlitz County Code, the Department may withhold all permits, certificates of occupancy or other forms of authorization to use or develop any land, structure or improvements until the violation is resolved.
G. It shall be unlawful for any person to alter, deface or take down any address placed on any property in accordance with this chapter, except for repair or replacement of such address.
H. Cowlitz County is not responsible for an address that is not posted or not visible from the street or road or if an emergency caller cannot be located by emergency service personnel due to lack of posting or visibility of numbers from that road that provides access to the property.
I. All enforcement herein specified is nonexclusive and the County may seek any other remedy available under County Code or at law or equity in responding to a violation of any health, land use or public works related laws. [Ord. 19-056 § 1, 6-4-19.]
18.90.110 Appeals.
Affected property owners may appeal private road names or assigned addresses to the Cowlitz County Hearing Examiner in the process outlined in Chapter 2.05 CCC within 14 days of the date that written notice is sent to the property owner. The written notice of appeal shall be received within the 14-day time limit. [Ord. 19-056 § 1, 6-4-19.]
18.90.120 Severability.
If any section, subsection, clause, phrase or word in this chapter is for any reason held invalid or unconstitutional by any court of competent jurisdiction, such section shall be deemed a separate provision and such holding shall not affect the validity of the remaining portion of this chapter. [Ord. 19-056 § 1, 6-4-19.]