Chapter 15.12
ADDRESSING SYSTEM FOR BUILDINGS AND HOUSES
Sections:
15.12.010 Lot numbering required.
15.12.035 Naming of private streets.
15.12.040 Designation of streets.
15.12.050 Assignment of private street names.
15.12.055 Notification of street name selection.
15.12.060 Placement of numbers.
15.12.070 Posting street names.
15.12.010 Lot numbering required.
All buildings or other property abutting on any street or avenue shall be numbered under a uniform grid system. (Ord. 214 § 1, 1970)
15.12.020 Base lines.
Cascade Avenue extended, as designated on the drawing attached to the ordinances codified in this chapter, which is by reference made a part of this chapter, shall constitute the base line for all numbering on streets running north and south. First Street extended as shown on the drawing shall constitute the base line for all numbering on streets running east and west. (Ord. 214 § 2, 1970)
15.12.030 Numbering system.
Buildings fronting streets from the north and fronting streets from the east shall bear even numbers in the last digit. Buildings fronting streets from the south and from the west shall bear odd numbers in their last digit. Buildings fronting streets running north and south shall be numbered from the base line. Such numbers shall be 100 at the base line and increase with distance at the rate of 100 numbers per 600 feet. (Ord. 828, 2003; Ord. 214 § 3, 1970)
15.12.035 Naming of private streets.
All private streets providing access to two or more detached dwelling units or two or more parcels of land shall be named.
Owners of undeveloped property may opt to have private streets serving two or more parcels named. (Ord. 828, 2003)
15.12.040 Designation of streets.
A. Street names shall not duplicate nor sound similar to street names used elsewhere on Whidbey Island within a 19-mile radius.
B. Private street names shall be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
C. Street names shall be no longer than 16 characters, including spaces.
D. Street names shall not contain a compass direction other than the required quadrant designation.
E. Street names shall be easily pronounced and easily spelled.
F. Street names shall not consist of a single letter.
G. New streets that do not dead-end or terminate in a cul-de-sac shall have street type designators of street, avenue, drive, parkway or boulevard.
H. New streets that dead-end or terminate in a cul-de-sac shall have street type designators of lane, court, way, terrace or place.
I. All streets that return to their point of origin shall have street type designators of circle.
J. All streets that intersect the same street at their beginning and ending, but at different locations, shall have street type designators of loop. (Ord. 828, 2003; Ord. 214, 1970)
15.12.050 Assignment of private street names.
When a private street has to be named or renamed, public works, or its authorized agent, shall request the assessed property owners on that street in writing by mail to select a street name subject to the above criteria. If the property owners do not make a recommendation within 45 days, or if the recommendation duplicates or substantially duplicates the name of a street already in use or previously recommended, the director of public works shall make a name selection.
The public works director shall approve all street name changes for private streets from a list of names proposed by owners of property gaining access from the street subject to naming. (Ord. 828, 2003)
15.12.055 Notification of street name selection.
The city, or its authorized agent, shall notify all affected property owners by mail of their new street names. The city, or its authorized agent, shall also notify the United States Postal Service, serving utility companies and emergency service agencies. (Ord. 828, 2003)
15.12.060 Placement of numbers.
On buildings now or hereafter erected and fronting on any street or alley shall be conspicuously placed a number as provided by this chapter. (Ord. 214 § 6, 1970)
15.12.070 Posting street names.
It shall be the duty of public works to sign and identify all existing public intersections by the erection and maintenance of adequate signs and posts.
Property owners using private streets to access their properties shall be responsible for the posting and maintenance of private street name signs in locations visible at the private street’s intersections with adjoining public or private streets. The city may offer to post private street name signs for a fee if the private street intersects a public street. (Ord. 828, 2003)
15.12.080 Address assignment.
Public works, or its authorized agent, shall assign or reassign addresses to existing development.
Public works shall assign addresses to new development at the time of building permit issuance and prior to plat map recording in accordance with the adopted addressing system and applicable state law.
Addresses for circular streets shall be assigned in a counter-clockwise direction with even numbers on the right side.
Where one side of a street is in the city and addressed according to the city plan and the other side is in the county, or where small city and county segments alternate along a section of street, the city may decide to address those sections of the street adjacent to the city consistent with the city plan to avoid confusion.
A single parcel developed with multiple habitable buildings shall conform to the following:
Mobile home parks, recreational vehicle parks and similar establishments shall designate each unit or space with a number in the address (e.g., No. 1, Space 1, Trlr 1).
All other types of development sharing a single parcel, such as apartments, duplexes, some condominiums, office complexes, schools, hospital campuses and commercial shopping centers, shall designate each separate building with a letter in the address (e.g., 4002 Main St., Bldg. A). Building letter designation shall progress from left to right or nearest to farthest as the buildings are viewed from the named road.
Multiple addresses shall be assigned to one parcel if separate habitable structures have different primary accesses to a named road.
Multi-unit buildings shall have a number designation for each unit.
Each building shall be numbered independently.
Numbering for single-level buildings shall start with 1 and proceed to the total number of units in the building. Units above ground in multi-level buildings shall be assigned three-digit numbers to each unit where the left-most digit reflects the level of the unit. Basement units in multi-level buildings shall be assigned one- or two-digit numbers.
The unit number shall be appended to the building letter where multiple buildings exist (e.g., 4002 Main St., Apt. A12; 4002 Main St., Ste. B213). (Ord. 828, 2003)
15.12.090 Annexations.
Properties annexing into the city shall conform to the city’s addressing and street naming system. (Ord. 828, 2003)