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]
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:
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.
