A. 
Purpose. The purpose of this regulation is to establish a system for the uniform assignment of road names and numbering of premises in Calvert County, thereby assisting in the efficient and effective provision of emergency services.
B. 
Authority. These regulations are based on the statutory authority contained in the Land Use Article of the Maryland Annotated Code.
[Amended 11-27-2023 by Ord. No. 44-23]
C. 
Refer to Chapter 95 Public Safety of the Calvert County Code for regulations regarding assignment of premise addresses.
[Added 11-27-2023 by Ord. No. 44-23[1][2]]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed former Sections 10-1.02, Grid Address Numbering System, and 10-1.03, Display of Premise Address Numbers, which immediately followed, and renumbered former Sections 10-1.04, Road Names, and 10-1.05, Appeal, as Sections 10-1.02 and 10-1.03, respectively.
A. 
The Planning Commission shall assign or approve all names of existing or proposed rights-of-way except within the limits of incorporated Towns of the County. The Planning Commission may designate the authority to assign or approve names of private roads and RD14A roads to its secretary.
B. 
Owners or developers of land to be dedicated for new public rights-of-way may name the proposed roads in accordance with the provisions of this Section.
C. 
Owners of land fronting on an existing unnamed right-of-way may petition for naming of that road in accordance with Section 10-1.02E. Such requests may be denied by the Planning Commission if it is determined that the proposed road name conflicts with any requirement of this Section.
D. 
Selection of Road Names. To avoid duplicating road names and to effect a uniform system of naming roads, the following principles of road name assignment procedures shall be followed:
1. 
An extension of an existing right-of-way shall bear the same name as the existing right-of-way.
2. 
The name assigned to a proposed right-of-way shall be the same name as that assigned to the right-of-way directly opposite it on an intersecting road unless the proposed right-of-way runs in a different direction. (See paragraphs '8' and '9' of this Section for exceptions.)
3. 
Any road name assigned by the Planning Commission to an existing or proposed right-of-way shall not be a duplicate name, either in sound or spelling, of any road name already existing in the County.
4. 
Road names selected by owners of premises fronting on existing or proposed rights-of-way must be approved by the Planning Commission to avoid duplicating road names. Proposed road names may be submitted to the Planning Commission by one of the following methods:
a. 
A petition signed by more than 75 percent of those owning property on the road; or
b. 
Selected names shown on a Road Name Request Form submitted with a preliminary subdivision plat.
5. 
A one-intersection circular road shall bear one name.
6. 
To maintain the hundred-block continuity within the Grid Address Numbering System, a circular road with more than one intersection may be designated "north" and "south" or "east" and "west" when its distance will encompass two or more hundred blocks. Examples: "Drafter Circle-West" and "Drafter Circle East"; or "Park Turn-North" and "Part Turn-South".
7. 
Rights-of-way entering or leaving the County from either Anne Arundel County or the incorporated towns shall bear the same name.
8. 
Whenever an arterial road or historic right-of-way crosses the zero-grid hundred block (e.g., Solomons Island Road) within the Grid Address Numbering System, "north", "south", "east", or "west" may be designated as suffixes as it crosses the intersecting zero-grid right-of-way in order to distinguish between the same hundred block number on the arterial road or historic right-of-way.
9. 
Whenever local or collector roads cross the zero-grid hundred block within the Grid Address Numbering System, they shall bear different names when they cross the zero-grid hundred block intersecting rights-of-way to avoid duplicating blocks on the same named right-of-way.
10. 
When a choice is to be made between selection of "Avenue" versus "Street" as a suffix to a right-of-way, the following principles shall apply: rights-of-way going in a north-south direction may be called "Avenues"; rights-of-way going in an east-west direction may be called "Streets".
11. 
Project road names may be applied to non-dedicated private rights-of-way through apartment, commercial, industrial, or manufactured home complexes whenever the quantity of structures to be erected therein will duplicate existing or projected hundred blocks within the Grid Address Numbering System.
12. 
A right-of-way may be named after a family residing on the right-of-way if 75 percent of the owners along the right-of-way approve the proposed name.
13. 
Names selected for rights-of-way shall not exceed 12 letters and spaces, in order to maintain uniformity of County street signs.
E. 
Road Name Changes.
1. 
The name of any existing dedicated right-of-way in Calvert County may be changed by the Planning Commission upon the request of 75 percent of the owners of property fronting thereon at any time.
2. 
The persons seeking the change shall submit a request to the Planning Commission which shall be signed by more than 75 percent of the owners.
3. 
The petition shall include the legal description of all properties having frontage on the right-of-way and the current mailing address of each signer, and the proposed new name of the right-of-way.
4. 
The Planning Commission shall convene a public hearing on the request and shall give notice of the hearing by publication of the place, date and time of the hearing in a newspaper of general circulation in Calvert County at least once a week for two weeks before the hearing. Notice of the public hearing shall also be sent by U.S. Mail, First Class, Postage Prepaid to all property owners having frontage on the right-of-way.
F. 
Principles of Road Naming. To eliminate unacceptable duplication of road names and to effect a uniform system of changing road names, the Planning Commission shall adhere to the following principles of road renaming procedures:
1. 
Whenever a dedicated, existing named right-of-way is relocated, the by-passed portion or portions shall be either renamed or the prefix, "old" added before the surname. However, if it is more practical and logical, the relocated portion or portions shall be renamed to avoid the necessity of changes for residents fronting on the by-passed portion or portions of the existing right-of-way, especially if they have previously had their address numbers changed and brought into the Grid Address Numbering System.
2. 
Existing numbered roads which do not conform to the Grid Address Numbering System hundred blocks shall be renamed when the hundred block on an intersecting right-of-way does not coincide with the numbered road.
G. 
Public utility companies and interested Federal, State and County agencies shall be advised of road name changes. At a minimum, the Department of Planning and Zoning shall notify the following agencies:
1. 
Department of Planning and Zoning Premise Addressing staff (who shall in turn notify all property owners along the affected road).
2. 
Calvert County Control Center
3. 
Calvert County Department of Public Safety, Fire/Rescue/EMS Division
4. 
Calvert County Public Schools
5. 
Calvert County Board of Elections
6. 
Calvert County Department of Public Works (Engineering Bureau and Highway Maintenance Division)
7. 
Calvert County Department of General Services
8. 
Maryland State Highway Administration
9. 
Maryland Department of Assessments & Taxation
10. 
Local Post Office
11. 
Local Electric Company
12. 
Local Phone Company
13. 
Cable Company
Unless otherwise specified herein, any person aggrieved by any decision pertaining to the provisions of Article 10 made by the Department of Planning and Zoning may appeal said decision to the Planning Commission. Appeals of decisions of the Planning Commission shall be noted in the Circuit Court of Calvert County. Appeals to Circuit Court shall be made in accordance with the Maryland Rules as set forth in Title 7, Chapter 200, as amended from time to time, within 30 days of the final decision of the Planning Commission.