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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Report - Street Naming Policy 07192016MAYOR AND COUNCIL COMMUNICATION DATE: 7/19/2016 CONSENT ITEM #: 19 AGENDA ITEM: Street Naming Policy SUBMITTED BY: Emily Becker, City Planner THROUGH: Kristina Handt, City Administrator REVIEWED BY: Stephen Wensman, Planning Director BACKGROUND: Currently, Chapter 153: Subdivision Regulations, Section 07: Preliminary Plat, Subd. E: Proposed Design Features mandates that street names and numbering system shall comply with the County Uniform Street Numbering System. It also states that the “name of any street used in the city or its environs shall not be used [in a proposed plat] unless the proposed street is a logical extension of an already named street, in which event the same name shall be used.” The County Uniform Street Naming and Property Numbering System was developed by the County in 1967 and adopted by the City in an Agreement with the County in 1971. The City canceled the street naming portion of the agreement by Resolution #2000-071 in 2000 in response to the County’s refusal to record the Fields of St. Croix II plat because the street names did not correspond to the agreed-to system. City Council Meeting 7/19/2016 Consent Agenda Item #18 2 In 2005, Ordinance 97-149 was adopted reintroducing a uniform street naming system within the City that follows the general pattern (alphabetical west-to-east) of the 1971 Agreement, but which also allows some street naming latitude as long as the alphabetical range is adhered to. The purpose of this ordinance was to have the force of law for future plats in regards to street naming. This ordinance, however, no longer exists in the published Lake Elmo Code of Ordinances. The reason for this is unclear to Staff as there has been no found record of its repeal. Without a current and clear street naming policy or ordinance, there has been recent confusion and discussion about street naming within new developments. Attached is research gathered on these discussions about street naming from Council meeting minutes in the past year. Summarily, with Staff transitions, it has not been clear what actual policy or ordinance to refer to when reviewing proposed street names. Staff has found that a motion “that if the street dead ends, so does the name” was passed at the May 5, 2015 City Council meeting with a vote of 3-2. However, no formal document was prepared or approved. This supposed policy holds that when streets are not continuous, they should not have the same name (i.e. a street name should only be in one development within the City). In order to provide clarity on this issue, Staff is proposing an official City street naming policy be enacted and that the policy be referred to in the City Code. Staff is also recommending repeal of City Code references to the County Uniform Street Naming and Property Numbering System ISSUE BEFORE COUNCIL: City Council Meeting 7/19/2016 Consent Agenda Item #18 3 The Council should decide if the City should adopt a street naming policy, repealing reference to the County Uniform Street Numbering System PROPOSAL DETAILS/ANALYSIS: Repeal Section 540. Ordinance No. 97-149, which added Section 540 relating to the uniform system for naming streets and numbering properties and principal buildings in the City of Lake Elmo, was never found to be repealed, according to research by Staff; there is no reference to the References to Ordinances Section of the City Code. As a result, the proposed ordinance will officially repeal this Section. Amendment to Section 153.07: Preliminary Plat, Subd. (E) (1). It is being proposed that the reference to the County Uniform Street Numbering System in Chapter 153 be repealed as well as the language stating that the “name of any street used in the city or its environs shall not be used [in a proposed plat] unless the proposed street is a logical extension of an already named street, in which event the same name shall be used.” Reference to the City Street Naming Policy should be placed here instead. Proposed Policy. As previously explained, a number of changes have been made to how streets are named over the past years. With changes to the City, it is likely that changes will continue to happen in order to accommodate new development. Because of this, it is proposed that a street naming policy be enacted, and that this policy be referenced by ordinance. Resultantly, changes to the way streets are named can be made without ordinance amendments. Partial Utilization of County Uniform Street Naming and Property Numbering System. There are a number of procedures from this manual that make sense and should be utilized in the City street naming City Council Meeting 7/19/2016 Consent Agenda Item #18 4 policy. The following are proposed policies that follow the Uniform Street Naming and Property Numbering System: North-South Streets. Streets running north-south are labelled as avenues. It is proposed that streets will need to be named based on alphabetical order east to west, starting with “Hi-“ on the far west side of the City and ending with “Ma-“ on the far east side of the City. A grid outlining this system is attached. Exception. Because the City has deviated from this rule in the past (i.e. in the Wildlfower, Tapestry, Whistling Valley) the Council should consider if street names that do not follow the alphabetical order but relate to the development name should be allowed. East-West Streets. Streets running north-south are labelled as streets and are numbered, decreasing from 60th Street at the far north of the city, ending at Hudson Boulevard. A grid outlining this numbering system is attached. All Other Streets. Such streets that do not directionally fit in to the above-mentioned categories should be named as follows: NE to SW streets shall be called Boulevards. NW to SE streets shall be called Roads. Streets that relate to a base street from which it is extended shall be called Courts or Circles. Streets that dip in form a connecting off-shoot from another street shall be called Lanes or Ways. Meandering routes shall be called Trails. City Council Meeting 7/19/2016 Consent Agenda Item #18 5 Property Numbering System. There shall be 1000 property numbers, or 500 numbers on each side of the street, available per mile. Each 12 feet of street frontage shall be assigned a number. Odd and Even Numbers. Odd numbers shall be used on the South and East sides of the streets and even numbers shall be used on the North and West sides of the streets. Assignment of Numbers on Corner Lots. Property numbers should be assigned to according to what is meant to be the front lot line as defined by the Lake Elmo Code of Ordinances. No Duplication. Any street that stops in one part of the City shall not be used in another part of the City, regardless if it is on the same grid as another street. Numbered streets are an exception to this rule. Must End With “North.” In order to keep all street names uniform, it is proposed that all street names be required to end with “North.” New Development. The City Street Naming Policy shall apply to new development. Existing street names shall remain the same. FISCAL IMPACT: Enacting a clarifying City Street Naming Policy may reduce Staff, Commission and Council time spent reviewing and approving street names. OPTIONS: The Council has the following options in regards to this Agenda Item: • Approve the City Street Naming Policy as proposed. • Approve the City Street Naming Policy with edits. • Deny the City Street Naming Policy and keep existing language of Section 153.07: Preliminary Plat, Subd. (E) (1). City Council Meeting 7/19/2016 Consent Agenda Item #18 6 • Deny the City Street Naming Policy and direct Staff to prepare edits to Section 153.07: Preliminary Plat, Subd. (E) (1). • Deny the City Street Naming Policy and direct Staff to prepare an Ordinance guiding street naming. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Council approve the City Street Naming Policy as proposed. ATTACHMENTS: • City of Lake Elmo Street Naming Policy. • Lake Elmo Address Map. • Ord. No. 08-144 • Ordinance 97-149 and Staff Report. • City Council Meeting Minutes Pertaining to Street Naming Research.