[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors
of the County of Page 9-20-2005.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also provided
for the repeal of former Ch. 127, Buildings, Numbering of, adopted
5-13-1997. Additionally, this ordinance provided that it take effect
1-1-2006.
A.
The purpose of this chapter is to improve the County
of Page E-911 addressing and to provide for a uniform county-wide
addressing system with respect to naming of streets and roadways;
fabrication, erection and maintenance of street name signs; address
posting requirements; enforcement procedures; and assigning street
or house numbers to all residences and principal buildings and businesses.
This will assist fire and rescue companies, law enforcement agencies,
the Unites States Postal Service, parcel delivery companies, utility
companies, tax appraisal, public works, planning and the general public
in the timely and efficient provision of services to residents and
businesses of the County of Page.
B.
This chapter is to describe a system for the naming
of roads/streets and subdivisions in Page County. This document may
be used by the Towns of Luray, Stanley and Shenandoah.
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
The suffix used to indicate the road/street type.
The body representing a town or the County as established
by Virginia Code.
The County Administrator of the County of Page or his designee,
hereafter referred to as "agent."
A road or street, whether public or private, shall refer
to the principal means of access to abutting property, including but
not limited to any avenue, cul-de-sac, drive, highway, lane, place
or any other principal access.
For purposes of a road/street sign: The display
of a road/street name according to current standards established by
the Virginia Department of Transportation if within Page County, the
standards established by the towns if within the towns.
For purposes of a subdivision sign: The display
of a subdivision name according to the Page County Zoning Ordinance,[1] the standards established by the towns if within the towns.
For the purposes of this chapter, a subdivision is any planned
development of a residential, commercial or industrial nature requiring
the submittal of a site plan or subdivision plat to the local jurisdiction,
and in the opinion of the agent should be named to enhance emergency
services response. This definition includes a manufactured home park
or subdivision.
For the purposes of this chapter, "town(s)" hereafter refers
to any town(s) in Page County that has/have adopted this chapter.
The official standardized street suffix abbreviations recognized
by the automated equipment at the United States Postal Service (USPS).
A.
The County Administrator of the County of Page, or
his designee, shall be responsible for the interpretation and administration
of the provisions of this chapter.
B.
The Page County GIS Department will establish new
private road names, road name changes and the assignment of new structure
numbers using procedures and guidelines provided in this chapter.
New private road names may be suggested by owners and/or residents
of that unnamed road because they are directly impacted by the change.
C.
An application for a new residential or business permit
shall be an application for an address assignment. Each 911 address
application shall contain a site plan showing the parcel on which
the structure will be located, the proposed location of the completed
structure, the named road from which the proposed structure will be
accessed and the permanent driveway access to the structure from that
named road. In addition, any measurements showing the relationship
of the proposed structure to other structures, properties, road intersections,
driveways or landmarks deemed necessary for the assignment of a valid
address shall be included on the site plan. It shall be determined
at the time of application approval the need for new private roads.
D.
Addresses for new structures will be assigned upon
the completion of a 911 address application. The County reserves the
right to change the assigned address if the structure or the driveway
differs from where it was located on the 911 application.
[Amended 5-18-2010]
E.
All addresses and road names shall be assigned before
a certificate of occupancy is issued for completed construction.
F.
Information on structure addresses and road address
ranges will be maintained as mapping layer features in the County's
geographic information system (GIS). Address ranges along roads are
maintained in the GIS and on the master street address guide (MSAG)
database in the County E-911 Office.
G.
The Page County GIS Department will maintain the address
point layer in the GIS.
H.
New addresses will be established using global positioning
system (GPS) technology to locate the driveway and foundation of the
new structure to be addressed.
A.
Roads/streets requiring names.
(1)
All roads/streets in Page County and all roads in
the towns shall be named following the guidelines in this chapter.
(2)
When a private road has three or more habitable structures,
it must be assigned a road name.
(3)
Exceptions may be granted by the County Administrator's
office for two or fewer structures sharing a common driveway that
are not visible from the named road if the landowners owning the structure(s)
request a new private street name.
[Amended 5-18-2010]
(4)
In the case of a new habitable structure being built
that will use the same access or driveway that a current structure
uses, that current structure address will change and be readdressed
off of the new private road. Landowners should be aware of this when
subdividing property for new habitable structures.
(5)
Roads that terminate at rivers, pastures or other
natural features and continue on the other side of that feature cannot
continue with that same road name. A new road name shall be assigned
to the remaining road and structures readdressed to the new named
road.
B.
Review and approval of proposed road names. All proposed
names shall be reviewed by the agent for conformance with the guidelines
established herein. If a proposed road name is found to be in accordance
with all provisions in this chapter, the County Administrator or designee
shall approve the name.
C.
Road/street name guidelines. All names proposed within
the County and the towns shall be reviewed to avoid potentially confusing
situations for emergency responders.
(1)
Duplication. A proposed road/street name which duplicates
an existing or reserved road/street name in Page County or the Towns
of Luray, Stanley and Shenandoah shall not be approved.
(2)
Confusion. A proposed name shall not sound like or
similar to an official road name (for example, Cherry and Cheery or
Lynwood and Linwoode).
(3)
Length of name. A road/street name and the abbreviated
suffix should not exceed 18 characters, including spaces. Any abbreviated
suffix must comply with USPS standards.
(4)
Special characters. A road/street name shall not include
hyphens, apostrophes, periods, numbers or nonalphabetical characters.
(5)
Directionals. Compass points (such as north, northeast,
etc.) should be avoided in road names.
(6)
Articles. Articles (such as the, a, an, etc.) shall
not be used.
(7)
Community or geographic features. The use of names
derived from community names or geographic features should be limited
to locations in such communities or geographic features.
(8)
Name breaks:
(a)
Any continuous road broken by incorporated jurisdictions
(i.e., the towns), may have separate names where segmented by those
jurisdictions.
(b)
If the intersection of roads is offset, the
segments should have different names. In some cases, adding directionals
to the name will constitute a different name.
(c)
If the intersection of roads is not offset,
the segments may have different names.
D.
Road/street type designators. The road/street name
suffixes, or road/street type designators, should be consistent with
the roadway's expected traffic use, width of right-of way, and physical
design or location. The County Administrator or designee may recognize
any designator that meets USPS standards. The following list is not
exhaustive.
|
Road/Street Type Designations, USPS Abbreviations
and Definitions
| ||
|---|---|---|
|
Alley - ALY:
|
A narrow or minor street in a community or a
narrow street between or behind buildings.
| |
|
Avenue - AVE:
|
A major road in a community.
| |
|
Bend - BND:
|
Generally a minor road.
| |
|
Bluff - BLF:
|
A road running up or along a high hill.
| |
|
Boulevard - BLVD:
|
A wide road with a median and landscaping.
| |
|
Bottom - BTM:
|
A road running through a small valley or below
a hill.
| |
|
Center - CTR:
|
Generally a central area with commercial buildings
clustered around it.
| |
|
Circle - CIR:
|
A short road that returns to itself.
| |
|
Court - CT:
|
Generally shorter permanent culs-de-sac.
| |
|
Cove - CV:
|
Generally a minor road through a small valley
or pass.
| |
|
Creek - CRK:
|
A road that crosses or runs along a creek.
| |
|
Crossing - XING:
|
A road that crosses a geographic feature, such
as a creek or mountain, or a short road that serves as a connector
between two other roads.
| |
|
Drive - DR:
|
Generally a winding or straight road.
| |
|
Garden - GDN:
|
Generally a minor road in a landscaped or park-like
area.
| |
|
Glen - GLN:
|
Generally a narrow road through a small valley.
| |
|
Grove - GRV:
|
Generally a minor road through a small wood
or group of trees.
| |
|
Heights - HTS:
|
A road along high ground.
| |
|
Highway - HWY:
|
A significant state or federal roadway.
| |
|
Hollow - HOLW:
|
A road through a small valley.
| |
|
Lane - LN:
|
A narrow, usually dead-end road.
| |
|
Loop - LOOP:
|
A short drive that begins and ends on the same
road.
| |
|
Park - PK:
|
Reserved for entranceways to public parks.
| |
|
Parkway - PKY:
|
A scenic or landscaped road.
| |
|
Path - PATH:
|
A short and/or narrow road.
| |
|
Pike - PIKE:
|
Generally a state primary-numbered road.
| |
|
Place - PL:
|
A dead-end or cul-de-sac road.
| |
|
Plaza - PLZ:
|
Generally a central area with commercial buildings
clustered around it.
| |
|
Point - PT:
|
Generally along high ground.
| |
|
Road - RD:
|
Generally primary and secondary roads.
| |
|
Run - RUN:
|
A road that crosses or runs along a creek or
run.
| |
|
Square - SQ:
|
Generally a central area with buildings clustered
around it.
| |
|
Street - ST:
|
A community or subdivision road.
| |
|
Terrace - TER:
|
Generally a hillside road in a community or
subdivision.
| |
|
Trail - TRL:
|
A winding or straight road generally of historical
significance.
| |
|
Turnpike - TPKE:
|
Generally a state primary-numbered road.
| |
|
View - VW:
|
A road through a scenic area or overlooking
a scenic area.
| |
|
Vista - VIS:
|
A road through a scenic area or overlooking
a scenic area.
| |
|
Way - WAY:
|
Generally a minor road which may dead end.
| |
E.
Road/street naming process. For the purpose of this
section, "served" by a road/street shall include right of use whether
or not a property actually uses such road/street.
(1)
Policy on participation in road/street naming.
(a)
The process of naming roads/streets shall be
limited to those who own property served by the road in question or
by the governing jurisdiction.
(b)
Where the road/street serves several properties,
the landowners shall be given the opportunity to propose the name.
This name must be submitted with the 911 address application. A minimum
of 75% of the landowners must approve the proposed road/street name.
If the name is not submitted with the application, the County Administrator
or designee will assign a road name. If a landowner does not respond
within 30 days of the date of the letter from the County Administrator
or designee, the landowner's right for input in proposing the road/street
name will be forfeited.
[Amended 5-18-2010]
(c)
In the event that there is no participation
from the landowners, the governing jurisdiction shall name the road/street
in accordance with article procedures.
(2)
Change in existing road/street name.
(a)
Page County shall accept no name change requests
from landowners for a period of two years following the installation
of the road/street sign.
[Amended 5-18-2010]
(b)
The fees for processing a name change must be
paid at the time the request is submitted. An administrative fee shall
be levied by the County Administrator or designee for road/street
name review, name-change notification of the affected landowners or
residents, the processing of name changes to cover corrections to
all copies of the Master Road/Street Names Directory, the maps used
by emergency services and any other related costs. An infrastructure
fee shall be levied to cover the cost of the manufacture and installation
of the road/street sign and any other related costs.
[Amended 5-18-2010]
(c)
Requests to change a Page County road/street
name shall be submitted in writing to the County Administrator or
designee and shall include the following information:
[1]
A description of the request for the change,
including:
[a]
Proposed road/street name or names. Several
should be submitted in order of preference.
[b]
Location of road/street on a map, giving the
direction and distance from the nearest intersection of two public
roads/streets.
[c]
Existing road/street name(s).
[d]
Reason for request to change road/street name.
[2]
A list of all property owners within the subdivision
in question, identified by tax parcel number and address.
[a]
Each landowner must sign a notarized statement
to indicate favor or opposition to the proposed road name(s).
[b]
All notarized statements must be attached to the written request for a road name change {See § 127-4E(2)(c)[1] above}.
[3]
The landowners in favor of the proposed name(s)
must represent the majority of the residences served by the road/street.
(3)
Road/street name reservation. The submittal of a preliminary plan or plat for review will reserve any road/street names therein unless those names fail to meet the criteria, the approval of the governing body in the respective jurisdiction or unless the project is disapproved, abandoned or otherwise voided. Refer also to § 127-5D(3) below.
(4)
Road/street naming in the subdivision and site development review process. Refer to § 127-5D(2) below.
(5)
Road/street naming of annexed areas. If changes are
to occur within areas annexed by the towns, those areas shall be addressed,
or renamed and addressed, on the date the annexation occurs.
A.
Subdivision requiring names. All commercial, industrial
and residential subdivisions, including manufactured home parks and
subdivisions, in Page County shall be named. Subdivisions in the towns
shall he named pursuant to County ordinances.
B.
Review and approval of proposed subdivision names.
All proposed names shall be reviewed by the agent for conformance
with the guidelines established herein. If a proposed subdivision
name is found to be in accordance with all provisions in this chapter,
the agent shall approve the name.
C.
Subdivision naming guidelines. All subdivision names
proposed within the County and the towns shall be reviewed to avoid
potentially confusing situations for emergency responders.
(1)
Duplication. A proposed subdivision name shall not
duplicate an existing or reserved subdivision name in the County or
the towns. A subdivision name and a road/street name may be the same
only if the road/street is within that subdivision.
(2)
Confusion. A proposed subdivision name shall not sound
like or be similar to the name of an existing or reserved subdivision
name or an existing or reserved road/street name in the County or
towns.
(3)
Directionals. Compass points (such as north, northeast,
etc.) shall be avoided in subdivision names.
(4)
Community or geographic features. The use of names
derived from community names or geographic features should be limited
to locations in such communities or geographic features.
D.
Subdivision naming process.
(1)
Change in existing subdivision name. The fee(s) for
processing a subdivision name change must be paid at the time the
request is submitted. An administrative fee shall be levied by the
County Administrator or designee for subdivision name review, name-change
notification of the affected landowners or residents, the processing
of name changes to cover corrections to all copies of the Master Road/Street
and Subdivision Names Directory, the maps used by emergency services
and any other related costs.
[Amended 5-18-2010]
(a)
When the request is initiated by the subdivision
residents or landowners. Requests to change a Page County subdivision
name shall be in writing to the County Administrator or designee and
shall include the following information:
[1]
A description of the request for the change,
including:
[a]
Proposed subdivision name or names. Several
should be submitted in order of preference.
[b]
Location of subdivision on a map, giving the
direction and distance from the nearest intersection of two public
roads/streets.
[c]
Existing subdivision name.
[d]
Reason for request to change subdivision name.
(2)
A list of all property owners within the subdivision
in question, identified by tax parcel number and address.
(a)
Each landowner must sign a notarized statement
to indicate favor or opposition to the proposed road name(s).
(b)
All notarized statements must be attached to the written request for a road name change {See § 127-5D(1)(a)[1] above}.
(3)
A minimum of 75% of the landowners must be in favor
of the proposed name(s) for a name change to occur. If a landowner
does not respond within 30 days of the date of the letter from the
County Administrator or designee, the landowner's right for input
in proposing the road/street name will be forfeited.
[Amended 5-18-2010]
(a)
When the request is initiated by the developer.
If the subdivision has sold lots, the developer shall involve the
residents or landowners in the name change request and follow the
above procedure. If no lots have been sold, the developer may request
a name change. A description of the request for the change shall include:
[1]
Proposed subdivision name or names. Several
should be submitted in order of preference.
[2]
Location of subdivision on a map, giving the
direction and distance from the nearest intersection of two public
roads/streets.
[3]
Existing subdivision name.
[4]
Reason for request to change subdivision name.
(4)
Subdivision and road/street naming in the subdivision
and site development review process. No fee is required for processing
the proposed name(s) for a new subdivision.
(a)
A developer may contact the County Administrator or designee prior to submission to determine the availability of proposed names. Subdivision name and road/street names may be reserved as provided in § 127-5D(3) of this chapter.
(b)
Proposed subdivision name and road/street names
shall appear on all final site development plans and subdivision plats,
where applicable.
(c)
No final site development plan or final subdivision
plat shall be approved until the subdivision name and all roads/streets
are named and approved.
(d)
A subdivision name or a road/street name is
approved for a five-year period within which time a final plat must
be recorded. It is the responsibility of the developer to renew the
reserved names on the preliminary plan or plat if the final plat is
not approved within five years of the preliminary plan approval.
(e)
It shall be the developer's responsibility to
notify the County Administrator or designee when the final plat has
been recorded with the Clerk of the Court, giving the deed hook and
page number. It shall also be the responsibility of the developer
to notify the agent when the subdivision name and the road/street
name is in use. The subdivision name and road/street names on the
approved final plat shall be reserved for five years. Renewal of the
reserved status is the responsibility of the developer.
(5)
Subdivision and road/street name reservation. The
submittal of a preliminary plan or plat for review will reserve any
subdivision name and the subdivision road/street names therein unless
those names fail to meet the criteria, the approval of the governing
body in the respective jurisdiction or unless the project is disapproved,
abandoned, or otherwise voided.
C.
County Administrator or designee approves or denies
name(s) and notifies applicant.
D.
If name(s) submitted is approved and appears on the
final plat recorded with the Clerk of the Court, agent contacts the
appropriate governing jurisdiction. It shall be the responsibility
of the appropriate governing jurisdiction to notify pertinent entities
and agencies of any change within its boundaries.
A.
All approved road/street names shall be listed in
a Master Road/Street and Subdivision Names Directory to be maintained
in the office of the County Administrator or designee.
B.
The location of all approved road/street names listed
in the Master Road/Street and Subdivision and Subdivision Names Directory
shall be illustrated on a master set of Road/Street and Subdivision
Names Maps to be maintained in the office of the County Administrator
or designee.
C.
The County and towns must report to the County Administrator
or designee any new roads/streets or subdivisions and/or road/street
or subdivision names.
A.
Public and private road name signs are constructed
and maintained by the Page County E-911 Department. Residents are
encouraged to notify the E-911 Department about damaged or missing
road signs.
B.
New road name signs will be erected within 60 business
days of the issuance of the new road name.
C.
Public roads are those maintained by the Virginia
Department of Transportation (VDOT). Private roads are maintained
by owners/residents.
D.
Public road signs shall be white lettering on a green
background to distinguish from private roads.
E.
Private road signs shall be white lettering with a
blue background.
F.
A name is not official until so designated and a sign
erected by Page County E-911 Department.
G.
No address numbers, flyers, private signs or other
objects shall be placed on any road sign or post.
H.
Trees, brush and other obstructions should be kept
clear of road signs.
A.
Page County maintains a uniform distance-based address
numbering system based upon the increasing travel distance along a
named road.
B.
All roads will be assigned a point of origin to mark
the beginning of addressing along a named road.
C.
Structure numbering shall proceed in ascending order
from the beginning of the named road and continue to the end of the
road.
D.
One odd and one even number will be reserved for every
10.56 feet incrementally along the road's center line, resulting in
approximately 1,000 possible address numbers per mile of traveled
road.
E.
Odd numbers are assigned to the left side of the road
and even numbers are assigned to the right side of the road from the
beginning of the road.
F.
The center lines of divided highways shall carry odd
numbers on one lane and even numbers on the other.
G.
Address numbers will be assigned where the primary
driveway intersects the named road.
H.
Multi-unit structures such as apartments, townhouses
and office buildings shall be assigned a single building address for
each structure. Unit identification numbers and/or letters will be
assigned for individual apartments or office suites. The combination
of the road name, structure number and unit number will define each
unit's address.
[Amended 5-18-2010]
I.
In cases where there is no driveway because the structure
is so close to the road, the address number will be determined from
a perpendicular line through the center of the structure to the road
center line. Where the perpendicular line intersects the road center
line will determine the address.
J.
In cases where a structure's driveway accesses a side
road, but the structure faces another road, the address will be assigned
by access point.
K.
The United States Post Office and other applicable
departments and offices where the new private road is assigned will
be notified by the Page County E-911 Department.
L.
New structure owners will be notified by mail of their
new address by the Page County Administrator's office or the office
of the County Administrator's designee.
[Amended 5-18-2010]
M.
Vacant parcels of land will not be assigned addresses.
Exceptions can be made at the discretion of the County Administrator,
or designee, for structures such as a boat landing, a public restroom
or pavilion.
[Amended 5-18-2010]
N.
No other address numbering system will be allowed
in Page County.
O.
When errors in assignments are discovered, corrections
to existing address numbers will be made by the County Administrator
or designee.
[Amended 5-18-2010]
A.
It shall be the property owner's responsibility to
place address numbers on the structure.
B.
Address numbers must be conspicuously placed on the
structure so that the number is clearly visible from the road. In
cases where the structure is more than 50 feet from the road or not
visible from the road, the number must also be placed near the walk,
driveway or common entrance to the structure or upon the mailbox,
gatepost, fence, address placard or other appropriate place so as
to clearly be visible from the road to guide emergency vehicles to
the structure.
[Amended 5-18-2010; 9-18-2012]
C.
If primary address numbers are to be placed on a mailbox
or mailbox post on the road, then the mailbox must be immediately
adjacent to or opposite the entrance to the driveway.
D.
Residential address numbers shall be no less than
three inches in height and shall be placed on a contrasting color
background for high visibility. Business address numbers shall be
no less than five inches in height. In all cases numbers should be
reflective with a contrasting background.
[Amended 5-18-2010]
E.
Structure address numbers for apartments or similar
complexes shall be placed on the building, and in addition the unit
number shall be placed on or near the door to each individual unit.
F.
Manufactured home parks should have similar styles
of address numbers placed in similar locations on the individual homes.
Example: If all homes are set perpendicular to the street or parking
lot, then all address numbers should be placed on the end (or front)
of the home at a uniform height above the ground.
G.
Trees and brush should be cleared from obstructing
address numbers.
H.
Owners and/or inhabitants of existing structures are
required to post their assigned numbers using these guidelines.
I.
Residents with concerns about proper address number
placement are encouraged to contact the E-911 Department.
[Added 8-19-2014]
Whenever the County Administrator or his designee has reason
to believe there has been or there exists a violation of this chapter,
the County Administrator or his designee shall give written notice
of such violation to the person or organization failing to comply
and order the person or organization to take corrective measures within
30 calendar days from the date of notification. If such person or
organization fails to comply within such time period, such person
or organization shall be guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor punishable
by recommended penalties of a fine of $50 for the first offense, a
fine of $100 for the second offense, and up to a fine of $250 for
the third and subsequent offense(s).
