Chapter 12.14
STREET NAMING AND ADDRESSING
Sections:
12.14.030 Designation of suffixes.
12.14.040 Annexation of county roads.
12.14.050 Property owner responsible for posting and maintaining property address.
12.14.060 Posting street names.
12.14.010 Purpose.
The identification of streets by name plays an important function in maintaining the safety and welfare of the public. The principal function of street names is to enable residents, delivery services and public safety personnel to conveniently locate properties within the city. To avoid confusion, to develop consistency in the naming of streets and to support the general welfare of the community, it is necessary to establish a street naming policy. (Ord. 10-003 § 1).
12.14.020 Choice of names.
(1) Large developments shall use a single category for street names while small subdivisions should use the same category as adjacent developments to help establish a locational identity.
(2) There shall be no duplication of street names. Similar-sounding names are considered to be a duplication regardless of spelling. (For example, Beach and Peach). Names which duplicate or phonetically approximate existing names within the urban growth area are prohibited, as are names with similar pronunciations or spellings with existing names.
(3) Continuous streets, or a street proposed to be continuous, shall carry the same name throughout. If there is an interruption and there is no probability of eventual connection the interrupted segments may bear different names. Numbered arterials or collectors interrupted by an irrigation canal, highway or other feature shall carry the same name on either side of the interruption.
(4) No separate name shall be used for a cul-de-sac that provides frontage for three or fewer lots.
(5) Names which include numbers, dashes, apostrophes, special characters, abbreviations (unless it is a suffix designation abbreviation such as “St.,” “Ave.,” “Blvd.” etc.), punctuation or other nonalphabetical characters are prohibited.
(6) Names which exceed three words or 22 characters, not including the roadway designator, and names which contain less than five characters (including a suffix designation abbreviation), are prohibited.
(7) Names which the Kittitas public works supervisor, fire chief, police chief or the MSAG coordinator determines to be unacceptable due to duplication or other difficulties related to emergency service dispatch are prohibited.
(8) Variations of the same name with a different street designation shall be prohibited within the first word of the two-word title or in the street extension (for example, Pine Road, Pine Drive, Pine Lane). (Ord. 10-003 § 1).
12.14.030 Designation of suffixes.
(1) Avenue. Used for continuous east-west streets.
(2) Street. Used for continuous north-south streets.
(3) Court. Used for cul-de-sacs with more than three lots.
(4) Place. Used for a street parallel to a numbered avenue where numbering is out of sequence.
(5) Circle. Used for streets that return to themselves.
(6) Loop. Used for streets that begin and end on the same street or for streets that connect to two intersecting perpendicular streets.
(7) Drive. Used for local streets of any length, primarily in residential subdivisions.
(8) Boulevard. Used for arterials that incorporate significant landscape features in the public right-of-way.
(9) Parkway. Used for arterials that incorporate significant landscape features in the public right-of-way.
(10) Way. Used for streets in industrial zones.
(11) Lane. Used for local streets with lengths of generally less than 800 feet. (Ord. 10-003 § 1).
12.14.040 Annexation of county roads.
The suffix “road” shall remain with roads that are annexed to the city until such time as the entire length of the road is within the city. At that time the suffix shall be changed to “avenue” or “street” pursuant to KMC 12.14.030. (Ord. 10-003 § 1).
12.14.050 Property owner responsible for posting and maintaining property address.
The property owner is responsible for posting and continued maintenance of the property address on the front of an addressed structure. Numbers shall be plainly visible and legible from the public or private way. Numbers posted shall be Arabic only. Numbers shall be placed on the addressed structure as near to the front door as practicable. Numbers shall contrast clearly with any background color. The figures designating the number shall be not less than three inches in height and three-quarters of an inch in width. On corner lots, the number shall only be displayed to face the street upon which the property is numbered. Odd numbers shall appear on the north and west side of streets, and even numbers on the south and east sides. If address numbers are not posted and maintained in accordance with this section, the city of Kittitas shall not be responsible if a property cannot be located by emergency services personnel. (Ord. 10-003 § 1).
12.14.060 Posting street names.
It shall be the duty of the mayor, and his/her designee, to identify all existing public intersections by the erection and maintenance of adequate signs and posts. For new developments, the mayor, or his/her designee, may require erection and maintenance of signs and posts by the developer at his/her expense. Property owners using private ways to access their properties shall be responsible for the erection and maintenance of name signs in locations visible at the intersections between the private way and any other public or private way. Private name signs shall be in compliance with standards established by the mayor or his/her designee. (Ord. 10-003 § 1).
12.14.070 Mobile home parks.
Mobile home parks shall have either:
(1) One address number assigned to the park with the owner of the mobile home park responsible for the individual numbering of each mobile home space in accordance with this chapter; or
(2) Each space shall be assigned an address with streets within the mobile home park signed and addresses installed in accordance with this chapter. (Ord. 10-003 § 1).
12.14.080 Enforcement.
Should the city become aware that an address number is missing, illegible or incorrect, or otherwise not in conformance with standards of this chapter, the mayor, or his/her designee, may notify the property owner in writing and require that correction be made within 10 days. Any person or entity who shall in any manner violate any of the provisions of this chapter shall be deemed to have committed a civil infraction subject to a Category C-5 civil penalty as set forth in Chapter 1.16 KMC. (Ord. 10-003 § 1).