Chapter 13.44
STREET NAMING AND NUMBERING
Sections:
13.44.010 Application of guidelines.
13.44.020 Master coordinate lines.
13.44.040 Numbering of gridlines.
13.44.070 Street designations.
13.44.090 Prefixes for new streets.
13.44.150 Designation of building numbers.
13.44.160 Plan of assigning numbers.
13.44.170 Building designation on irregular plats.
13.44.180 Record of numbers—Issuance—Display.
13.44.200 Maintenance of figures.
13.44.210 Failure to number building—Penalty.
13.44.220 Erroneous numbers to be corrected.
13.44.230 Penalty for violations.
13.44.010 Application of guidelines.
The guidelines set forth in this chapter shall govern the naming of all new city streets and the renaming of all existing city streets to the extent practicable within the corporate limits lying south of 41st Street. (Prior code § 13.06.010)
13.44.020 Master coordinate lines.
The street naming and numbering system is referenced to master coordinate division lines unique to the city and lying solely within its corporate limits. The north/south coordinate line approximates the center of Meridian Avenue extended to the corporate limits. The east/west coordinate line approximates the centerline of 41st Street extended to the corporate limits. (Prior code § 13.06.020)
13.44.030 Gridlines.
A network of gridlines will be established running north/south parallel to Meridian Avenue and east/west parallel to 41st Street such that there are sixteen parallel gridlines per mile. (Prior code § 13.06.030)
13.44.040 Numbering of gridlines.
East/west gridlines shall begin with number forty-one and be numbered consecutively every one-sixteenth mile south to the corporate limits. Meridian Avenue shall be referenced with a zero grid designation. North/south gridlines west of Meridian Avenue shall begin with designator number one, one-sixteenth mile west of Meridian Avenue and be numbered sequentially every one-sixteenth mile to the extent of the corporate limits on the west. North/south gridlines east of Meridian Avenue shall begin with designator number one, one-sixteenth mile east of Meridian Avenue and be numbered sequentially every one-sixteenth mile to the extent of the corporate limits on the east. (Prior code § 13.06.040)
13.44.050 Area divisions.
A. Area Divisions Generally. The land area lying south of 41st Street and bordered on the east and west by the corporate limits is to be identified by quadrant designations according to the following dividing lines:
B. Southeast Quadrant. That area bounded on the north by 41st Street, on the west by a north/south line approximating the centerline of Meridian Avenue extended, and on the east and south by the corresponding corporate limits;
C. Southwest Quadrant. That area bounded on the east by a north/south line which approximates the centerline of Meridian Avenue extended, and in all other directions by the corporate limits. (Prior code § 13.06.050)
13.44.060 Street locations.
All streets will be located under one of the following conditions:
A. Avenues coincide with or are approximately to north/south gridlines. To qualify as approximate, the centerline of the avenue must lie within ninety-nine feet of the gridline, otherwise it shall be designated as a drive;
B. Drives are parallel to north/south gridlines but not coincident, their centerline being more than ninety-nine feet from the nearest gridline;
C. Streets coincide with or are approximate to east/west gridlines. To qualify as approximate, the centerline of the street must lie within ninety-nine feet of the gridline, otherwise it shall be designated as a place;
D. Places are parallel to east/west gridlines but not coincident, their centerline being more than ninety-nine feet from the nearest gridline;
E. Roads, boulevards, ways or lanes are streets that may change direction without significant interruption in the course of following some natural features or changing terrain. (Prior code § 13.06.060)
13.44.070 Street designations.
Streets are to be identified in accordance with Sections 13.44.080 through 13.44.120, by a four-part designation, specifically, prefix, name or number, type, and suffix, and further as defined in Sections 13.44.080 through 13.44.120. (Prior code § 13.06.070)
13.44.080 Prefix designation.
The prefix, if applicable, shall be the first segment of a street designation. The prefix shall be abbreviated with a single letter followed by a period and one or more spaces, such as N., S., E., or W. (Prior code § 13.06.080)
13.44.090 Prefixes for new streets.
Following the adoption of this chapter, no new streets will be permitted to acquire the same name and be distinguished solely on the basis of prefix designation, unless they qualify under the following conditions:
A. The prefix designation, if applicable, takes precedence over a suffix;
B. The prefix designation is meant to distinguish two identically named streets which have been divided by some geographical barrier, obstacle, natural formation or other topographical feature, such that the street surrounds a lake or divides to parallel a river on each bank. Streets which separate to surround or encompass man-made divisions such as city blocks must acquire separate names, and will not be permitted to be distinguished by prefix designation alone;
C. A “west” prefixed street name must be complemented by a corresponding “east” prefixed street;
D. A “north” prefixed street name must be complemented by a corresponding “south” prefixed street;
E. Numbered streets shall have no prefix. Numbered streets that divide for any reason must be numbered in accordance with Section 13.44.100 and may not be distinguished by prefix. (Prior code § 13.06.090)
13.44.100 Name/number.
The name/number shall be the second segment of a street designation. The name may be any combination of letters forming a recognizable noun form which should not duplicate the name of any presently existing street within Snohomish County. Following the adoption of the ordinance codified herein, all new streets, avenues, places and drives will be designated by number only. Roads, boulevards, ways and lanes will continue to be identified by names only. The street number shall be assigned according to its location within the gridline numbering system defined in Sections 13.44.030 and 13.44.040, and further defined as follows:
A. Streets and avenues which by definition (Section 13.44.060) are coincident with gridlines shall acquire that gridline number;
B. Places and drives which by definition (Section 13.44.060) are not coincident with gridlines shall acquire the next lower numbered gridline number;
C. Roads, boulevards, ways and lanes shall be identified only by names. These street types may not acquire a number identification;
D. Numbered streets will not be identified by a spelling of the number. Numbers must be identified by numeric characters followed by an ordinal reference as follows:
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Et al. (Prior code § 13.06.100)
13.44.110 Type.
A. The type shall be the third segment of a street designation. The only acceptable type designations and acceptable abbreviations shall be:
Avenue—Av.
Drive—Dr.
Street—St.
Place—Pl.
Road—Rd.
Way—Wy.
Lane—Ln.
Boulevard—Blvd.
B. The first four types are to be used in conjunction with a number only; the last four types are to be used in conjunction with a name only, in accordance with Section 13.44.100. (Prior code § 13.06.110)
13.44.120 Suffix.
The suffix shall be the fourth segment of a street designation and is to be used as a quadrant designator in accordance with Section 13.44.050 and is assigned to all streets lying south of 41st Street within the corporate limits. The suffix is assigned in accordance with the following conditions:
A. Name streets which bear a prefix shall bear no suffix;
B. All east/west numerical places and streets in the southeast quadrant are to bear the S.E. suffix. North/south numerical avenues and drives shall bear the S.E. suffix;
C. All east/west numerical places and streets in the southwest quadrant are to bear the S.W. suffix. North/south numerical avenues and places shall bear the W. suffix only. (Prior code § 13.06.120)
13.44.130 Utilization.
The city engineer is instructed to utilize these guidelines in providing the city street designations, city street house addresses, and street name or number designations or changes thereto. (Prior code § 13.06.130)
13.44.140 Street names.
The several streets, avenues and public places of the city shall hereafter be known and designated by the names applied thereto respectively on the several plats of land within the limits of the said city, as the same appear of record in the auditor’s office of Snohomish County, state of Washington. (Prior code § 13.08.010)
13.44.150 Designation of building numbers.
The numerical designation of all doorways and entrances to buildings, lots, yards and grounds, fronting upon the several streets, avenues and public places of the said city, is established in accordance with the following system as far as practicable:
There shall be one hundred numbers assigned to the frontages situated between any two cross streets, fifty numbers to each side of the street; the lots, buildings or frontages of each successive block along such street bearing the number of the hundred next higher than the hundred of the block next preceding; one whole number to be the allotted to each twenty-five feet, or major fraction thereof, frontage in each block, and where there shall be more than one doorway or entrance within such twenty-five feet, or major fraction thereof, frontage, half numbers shall be used; even numbers shall be used on the westerly or right-hand side of streets and avenues running from north to south and odd numbers on the easterly or left-hand side, of said streets and avenues. On streets and avenues running from west to east in said city, even numbers shall be used on the southerly or right-hand side thereof, and odd numbers on the northerly or left-hand side, of said streets and avenues. In case of irregular streets, avenues or public places, the several frontages shall be numbered as near as may be according to the uniform series of block numbers, as herein provided, with which they most nearly correspond. (Prior code § 13.08.020)
13.44.160 Plan of assigning numbers.
The following general plan as far as practicable shall be pursued by the city engineer in assigning the numbers required by this chapter:
A. On all streets, avenues or public places running from north to south in said city, the premises or frontage at the southeast corner of the intersection of any of the said streets, avenues or public places with the first numbered street running from west to east upon the present platted portion of said city, shall take the hundred number plus one corresponding to the number of said street or avenue so intersecting said north and south street or avenue, and so on, numbering progressively, for said block, allotting the even and odd numbers as provided in the next preceding section. Each succeeding block southward taking as an initial number the next consecutive hundred plus one in order;
B. On all streets, avenues or public places running from west to east in said city, the numbering to begin at the northeast corner of the intersection of said street, avenue or public place with Federal Street, or its possible projection, with the number one thousand and one, numbering progressively from west to east, each succeeding block eastward taking as an initial number the next consecutive hundred plus one, allotting the even numbers and the odd numbers as in Section 13.44.150 provided. (Prior code § 13.08.030)
13.44.170 Building designation on irregular plats.
Whenever, by reason of their irregularity of the plats or for any other reason, there shall be doubt as to the correct number provided for any frontage by this chapter, such number shall be ascertained and defined by the city engineer, and the engineer shall furnish the said number to any owner, occupant or agent of such frontage upon application therefor. Such number shall be deemed to be the number of said frontage as provided by this chapter. Upon the further compliance with the applicant with the requirements of Section 13.44.180 of this chapter. (Prior code § 13.08.040)
13.44.180 Record of numbers—Issuance—Display.
A record of such numbering shall be kept by the engineer in a book provided for that purpose, and such record shall be evidence of the respective numbers or designations aforesaid. The city engineer shall prepare the necessary plat or plats, map or maps, showing the numbers to be assigned to all lots, building and frontages, situated upon the streets and avenues of said city as above described, and no owner or other person shall affix a street number to any building in said city other than that shown by the record and maps aforesaid as belonging to the location of said building, without having first obtained from the engineer the number assigned as aforesaid. The number of all dwellings, business houses or other structures erected hereafter, shall be supplied to the owners, agents or occupants of such buildings by the city engineer. Said engineer shall issue to the applicant therefor a certificate, giving the number, names of the occupant, agent or owner and the location of the premises to be numbered, and shall make a record thereof in his office. The numbers shall be procured by the applicant at his own expense and affixed to the building or place of business to which it belongs in a conspicuous place, either above or at the side of the front entrance to said building or place of business, and shall be thereafter maintained by the owner or agent of said building or place of business. (Prior code § 13.08.050)
13.44.190 Size of figures.
The city fire marshal shall establish guidelines and rules, regulations, and procedures for the size, character, and placement of address and identity numbers and figures for all dwellings, commercial buildings, industries, and other buildings erected after February 9, 2002.
Therefore the following table shall be used in part, as a guideline in determining the size of the address and identity figures:
Table 3-1 Address Numbering Figure Size Table
|
Distance from Road or Fire Lane |
Minimum Figure Size |
|
|---|---|---|
|
A. |
0 – 50 feet |
3'' H x 1.5'' W |
|
B. |
51 – 100 feet |
6'' H x 3'' W |
|
C. |
101 – 150 feet |
8'' H x 4'' W |
|
D. |
151 – 200 feet |
10'' H x 5'' W |
|
E. |
201 feet and up |
12'' H x 6'' W |
|
F. |
Three-inch figures are permitted for single-family occupancies only. The minimum figure size for commercial occupancies is six inches. The height-to-width ratio of the figures shall be approximately 2H:1W. |
|
(Ord. 2584-02 §§ 1, 2: prior code § 13.08.060)
13.44.200 Maintenance of figures.
The numbers, after the same have been affixed to the dwellings, places of business, or other structures as provided for in the next preceding section, shall be maintained at the expense of the owner or agent of the structures. (Prior code § 13.08.070)
13.44.210 Failure to number building—Penalty.
Any person being the owner or agent of any building erected in the city, A.D. 1900 who after being notified in writing by the chief of police of the city that the street numbers are of record at the office of the city clerk, shall for the period of fifteen days thereafter neglect or refuse to number any building owned or represented by him as agent, in conformity with the provisions of this chapter, is guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be fined in any sum not exceeding the sum of ten dollars and be adjudged to pay the costs of the prosecution. (Prior code § 13.08.080)
13.44.220 Erroneous numbers to be corrected.
If any number has been placed upon or over the doorway or entrance of any building or premises, which number does not conform with the provisions of this chapter, upon the like notice as provided for in the next preceding section of this chapter, the owner or agent of any such building or premises shall remove and correct the same. (Prior code § 13.08.090)
13.44.230 Penalty for violations.
Any person, firm or corporation failing or refusing to comply with any of the provisions of this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be fined in any sum not exceeding the sum of ten dollars and be adjudged to pay the costs of the prosecution. (Prior code § 13.08.100)