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Date
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June 22,
2009
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Agenda
Item No. 44 Roll
Call No. 09- Communication No. 09-414 Submitted by: Larry Hulse, Community Development
Director |
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AGENDA
HEADING:
Renaming
streets recently annexed or to be annexed into the City of Des Moines to fit
within the City of Des Moines’ street naming and building numbering conventions
and to eliminate duplicate street names and building numbers.
SYNOPSIS:
Street
names and building numbers that exist in the areas recently annexed or to be
annexed into the City of Des Moines should be renamed to correspond with the
existing street naming and numbering conventions to allow for emergency services
and businesses to locate the address.
FISCAL
IMPACT:
Amount: Estimated
cost of $13,000, for fabrication and installation of new street name signs.
Funding Source: FY2009-10 Capitol
Improvement Program, Page Traffic Control Improvements -5, City-wide Signals,
Channelization and School Crossing Protection Program, TFC091.
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION:
The City
of Des Moines has completed and will complete more voluntary and involuntary
annexation of properties in Polk and Warren Counties. For the safety of the citizens, it is
essential that some of the streets be renamed in the newly annexed areas to
avoid duplicate street names or addresses, and to fit within the existing
street naming and numbering conventions.
City
code sets out the convention for naming streets in Section 102-221. The city is roughly divided by ordinance into
four quadrants. Each quadrant has
guidelines set up to maintain an orderly street naming system. The city is divided in quarters, running
roughly north/south along 1st Street and South Union and east/west
along a line drawn down the middle of Vine Street extending in either direction
from where the street intersects with the Des Moines River. Each quadrant is given specific naming
guidelines to insure that the location of an address by the street name is able
to be quickly located by emergency management personnel.
Pursuant
to Section 102-224(a), all numerically named streets north of the east/west
line and east of E. 1st Street shall have the word “East” as a part
of the name, preceding the number.
For the
most part, streets annexed in the northeast, which were located in Polk County,
have been assigned north/south street names that extend off the City grid. They carry the prefix of “Northeast”. Streets in the northeast quadrant of the
City of Des Moines should carry a prefix of "East” for the street
names. Should the prefix be unchanged,
there is a likelihood of confusion by emergency management personnel as to the
location of a house, when called.
The
general rule in the City of Des Moines is to name east/west streets by
names. Some of the east/west streets in
the annexation areas in Polk County are continuations of City streets, but have
numerical street names. The suggested names would eliminate the violation of
this policy.
The
existing house numbers in the Northeast Annexation Area appear to be assigned
as an extension of the City numbering grid and few changes should be required. House numbers will be checked and reassigned,
if necessary, at the same time the street is renamed.
Streets
annexed in Warren County have been assigned names that are specific to Warren
County. Additionally, the numbering grid
in Warren County is different than the City of Des Moines, and the ranges
overlap. This may result in two
buildings, miles apart, on the same street receiving the same building
number. In order to ensure safe
delivery of services, the names must be changed to street names specific to the
City of Des Moines, and the building numbers will need to be changed to fit the
City of Des Moines’ grid convention.
Streets
specific to Des Moines that extend south into the newly annexed area will be
assigned the street name from the City of Des Moines to the new city limit. The house addresses will be renumbered on the
established City grid as it extends south on east/west streets.
The east/west
streets will need to be given new names. Again, the City of Des Moines’ policy
is to label east/west streets names. The
names will be alphabetical and in-line with the grid established by Warren
County. Warren County has streets named from A to Z running north to south in
the county. We are attempting to
duplicate this alphabetic grid in order to assist in emergency management for
both Warren County and the City of Des Moines.
Code
Section 102-222(a) states that all numerically named streets south of the east/west
line extending from Vine Street and west of the north/south line along South
Union shall be assigned a prefix of “Southwest”. Pursuant to this guideline, the north/south
streets will continue to carry the “Southwest” prefix west of the South Union Street
line.
Pursuant
to Section 102-223, all numerically named streets south of the east/west line
extending from Vine Street and east of the South Union Street line shall have
the word “Southeast” as part of the name.
All named streets will have “East” as its prefix.
The United
States Postal Service controls the last line of the mailing address. For
instance, addresses that currently have a Norwalk mailing address will retain
their Norwalk mailing address until it is changed by the Postal Service. Staff will make a request to the Postmaster
to have the delivery addresses changed to Des Moines.
The
naming and numbering grid system that has been established by the City of Des
Moines ordinance and policy is user friendly, reduces confusion and is cost
effective for citizens and service providers.
Staff
has proposed street names that meet the City of Des Moines’ ordinance
requirements and policies. Renumbering
of houses will occur, as necessary, to ensure that houses are correctly sequentially
numbered. Staff held open houses to
discuss the new street names. Several
suggestions on names were made. For
instance, it was believed Beige Street would be too difficult for the general
public to use, and the street name of Border Street was suggested in its place. It was further suggested that Adventure
Street be used in lieu of Sage Street. The
roll call presented to the City Council provides for the adoption of these two
alternate names.
Citizens
pointed out that there were street names in the City of Des Moines that change
from one name to another as you travel across town. These streets are specific to the City of Des
Moines and not used by another municipality.
Citizens
also expressed concerns regarding the cost of an address change. The United States Postal Service will deliver
to the old address for one year. This
will allow people time to change magazine subscriptions, billings and other
records they need renewed or updated. Driver’s
licenses, vehicle registration and boat registrations would not need to be
changed until they become due for renewal.
Abstracts do not need to be changed, as the description of the property
is based on the legal description and not on the address. Wills, power of attorney and living wills
will remain valid.
After the
first reading of the ordinance on June 8th, citizens were contacted
regarding address suggestions. Two households with four citizens living on what
is currently NE 54th Avenue supplied the suggestion of Edgeview. Five other
citizens submitted a petition that the street name be Sage Street, as
recommended by staff.
The
Warren County citizen who submitted names for Aqua Street was also
contacted. She resubmitted the name
Aspen Street, as an alternative. This
name, or a variation of the name, exists in Johnston, Pleasant Hill, West Des
Moines and Ankeny. We asked for a second
alternative and they agreed on Acorn Street.
PREVIOUS
COUNCIL ACTION(S):
Date: June 8, 2009
Roll
Call Number: 09-1033
Action: First consideration
of ordinance above. Moved by Hensley
that this ordinance be first amended to reflect the exceptions to the staff
proposal identified in the hearing roll call, and then be considered and given
first vote for passage. Motion Carried
7-0.
BOARD/COMMISSION
ACTION(S): NONE
ANTICIPATED
ACTIONS AND FUTURE COMMITMENTS: NONE
For more information on this and other agenda items,
please call the City Clerk’s Office at 515-283-4209 or visit the Clerk’s Office
on the second floor of City Hall,