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.)
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).
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:
A. 
Prefix directional: two characters.
B. 
Street name: 28 characters.
C. 
Street suffix: up to six characters (must meet MSAG Standards).
D. 
Post directional: two characters.
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.