A roadway will be named if it meets at least
one of the following conditions:
A.
If two or more dwelling units or business-related
buildings exist, or are proposed to be constructed, along the roadway
or are served by the roadway.
B.
If dwelling is serviced by a driveway longer than
500 feet.
C.
If a structure is not visible from the main road.
D.
If the roadway is maintained by the Delaware Department
of Transportation.
The following standards will be used:
A.
A street name should be appropriate, easy to read
(so that children can use the name in an emergency situation), and
should add to community pride by promoting local heritage, history
and traditions and reflect local geography and character.
B.
Names with the same theme (i.e., flowers, states)
are suggested for naming streets in an entire subdivision as a means
of general identification.
C.
Historically used road names should be retained where
possible.
D.
Names tending to be confused as homonyms, having the
same or similar pronunciation but with different spellings, are discouraged
within a municipality, zip code, or emergency service zone area (e.g.,
Smith, Smyth or Smythe; Ellis or Allice; Allen or Alan).
E.
Names which may be offensive (slang, double meanings,
etc.) shall be avoided.
F.
Use of frivolous or complicated words, or unconventional
spellings in road names is discouraged.
G.
Avoid sound-alike names (e.g. Bay View Drive, Bayview
Drive or Brainard Lane, Barnard Lane).
H.
Do not use special characters in road names such as
hyphens, apostrophes or dashes.
I.
Avoid the use of standard suffixes or directional
suffixes or directional suffixes or prefixes as road/street names
(e.g., North Boulevard, Court Street, Avenue of Pines).
J.
Avoid family names or individuals names, especially
living persons and politicians.
Directional prefixes will be used only when
necessary, such as for distinguishing regions of a continuous road
traversing several communities. A street may have no more than one
directional prefix as follows: North, East, South, West. (North East
Baker Street, for example, is discouraged.)
The following are acceptable suffixes and the abbreviation should be used at all times. Please see Insert 1 for the complete list of acceptable suffixes and where they can be used.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Insert 1 is included at the end of this chapter.
A.
When naming new streets, duplication of names must
be avoided within a community, postal zip code and emergency service
zone area. Sussex County government will keep an updated list of the
street names in the County to help prevent reuse of existing names.
B.
If two or more streets in the same community, zip code or emergency service zone area have duplicate, or otherwise confusing names, the policy for renaming existing streets must be considered. See § 73-13.
C.
A street name combination (prefix, primary name and
suffix) should be used only once, and may not be used in any other
alignment, within a community, zip code, or emergency service zone
area (e.g. Jones Drive and Jones Circle; or West Jones Street and
Jones Street West).
Roads which pass through more than one municipality
should bear the same name throughout the County wherever possible.
Street and roadway name changes will only occur at street intersections.
New streets will be named during the subdivision
process. In case the requirements of an incorporated town subdivision
ordinance contradict this policy, the more restrictive requirements
will apply.
A.
At the time of filing an application for subdivision,
the developers or property owners shall submit to Sussex County government
a written request to reserve new street names, so that the names can
be reviewed and approved to avoid possible duplication. Failure to
do so will result in disapproval of the final map by the affected
municipality.
B.
Street name(s) become final upon recording of the
final subdivision plan.
C.
Street name(s) may be reserved for three years. If
final recording of the preliminary subdivision plan does not occur
within three years, a written request for a two-year extension of
the street name reservation may be submitted to Sussex County government.
If such a request is not received, the name(s) will no longer be reserved.
D.
Sussex County government will review all subdivisions
for conformance with this street naming policy at the time of preliminary
plan review.
The following is the recommended character format
for road/street names:
If an existing street needs to be renamed because
of a duplicate name or because of noncompliance with any other portion
of this street naming policy, then the following procedures will be
followed:
A.
Eliminating conflicting street names. In the case
of two or more conflicting street names, Sussex County government
will use the following point system to recommend which street name
should be changed. The street name awarded fewer points should be
changed.
|
Point System for Resolving Street Name
Conflicts
| ||
|---|---|---|
|
Condition
|
Points
| |
|
Older recognized name (if known)
|
1
| |
|
Greater number of addresses
|
1
| |
|
Arterial street
|
1
| |
|
Historical relevance
|
1
| |
|
Existing street signs
|
1
| |
|
Relatedness of town/subdivision names
|
1
| |
B.
Notification of conflict. Sussex County government
will notify the incorporated communities of a street name conflict.
County government will also provide an evaluation based on the point
system listed above. Based on this evaluation, the County will recommend
which street name should be changed. In the event of a tie, the addressing
authority shall determine the street name to be retained.
C.
Eliminating conflicting street names for minor and
major streets.
(1)
Minor streets: having 10 or fewer property owners.
(a)
Upon receiving the notification of conflict,
the County officials shall determine which street is to be renamed.
(b)
The County shall inform the property owners
along the affected street of the need to change the street name and
that the property owners may request an alternate name(s).
(c)
Property owners have 30 days following the date
of notification to provide street name requests to the County.
(d)
The County shall select an alternate name for
the street, and a second choice, giving preference to those names
requested by the property owners, which meet standards established
herein.
(2)
Major Streets: having 11 or more property owners.
(a)
Upon receiving the notification of conflict,
County officials shall determine which street is to be renamed.
(b)
The County shall announce the need to change
a street name at a County Council meeting within 30 days of receiving
the notification of conflict, and that the property owners may request
an alternate name(s).
(c)
Property owners shall then have 30 days following
the date of announcement to provide street name requests to the County.
(d)
The County shall select an alternate name for
the street, and a second choice within 60 days from receiving the
notification of conflict, giving preference to names requested by
affected property owners, which meet standards established herein.
D.
Alternate street name review. Sussex County government
will review the name for compliance with the street name policy, and
for duplication, and report acceptability to the requesting parties
within 30 days of receipt of the request for name change. Second choice
street names will be assigned if the first choice is not usable.
E.
Notification of name change. Sussex County government
will notify the United States Postal Service (USPS), Delaware Department
of Transportation (DELDOT), and emergency services of street name
changes. The County will also notify the affected property owners.
Currently there is a moratorium on all road
name changes within Sussex County addressing jurisdiction. This moratorium
will be lifted no sooner than six months after Sussex County reaches
a match rate of 95% between the Master Street Addressing Guide (MSAG),
and the Telephone Companies Automatic Location Identification (ALI)
database. At that time this chapter will be amended to include a process
that will be followed for requests of road names to be changed.
Any street name change will become effective
following expiration of a thirty-day period commencing from the date
said change was authorized by the community, or earlier at the discretion
of the community.
Sussex County government will coordinate road
names and address numbers with adjacent counties so that road names
and addresses at county boundaries are logical. Roads that traverse
county boundary lines should have one name for the continuous length
of the road. If road names change at county boundaries, they should
change at a prominent landmark or intersection. Address ranges near
county boundaries should also change at intersections or landmarks
where feasible.
A road with one county road number may have
more than one road name if there are logical breaks in the road at
which it is logical for the name to change.
