§ 9.40

This chapter establishes the standards for naming and renaming streets, and for street numbering. The director has the authority to implement this chapter and to adopt administrative policies for its implementation.

(Ord. No. 1216, § 2(Exh. A), 5-17-2016; Ord. No. 1335, § 19, 12-6-2022)

In this chapter:

Department means the City department currently having primary responsibility for street naming and numbering (whether Development Services, Police, Fire, IT, or Public Works).

Director means the director of the department having primary responsibility for street naming and numbering, or his or her designee.

Expenses means all of the staff and consultant costs incurred by the City in reviewing an application including: studying a proposal, preparing reports for the city council, and implementing a decision to rename a street,

Street includes road and other terms for any roadway.

(Ord. No. 1216, § 2(Exh. A), 5-17-2016; Ord. No. 1335, § 19, 12-6-2022)

(a)

General. For clarity, to accommodate City street sign size, to accommodate Emergency 911 databases and calls, and for safety for police and fire responses:

(1)

A street may have only one official street name.

(2)

All streets on the same alignment shall bear the same name where practical.

(3)

Suffix designations shall match the context of land use and street design. (See subsection (b) below, and shall be spelled out in full on the final map.

(4)

A new street may have a prefix compass designation (N, S, E, W) only if the streets cross the east-west axis (South Street) or the north-south axis (Central Avenue-Holly Drive).

(5)

A new street name may not exceed fifteen (15) letters, excluding prefix and suffix designation.

(6)

A new street name may not have more than two (2) words, excluding prefix and suffix.

(7)

Abbreviations, symbols and numeric characters may not be used.

(8)

Conjunctions may not be used as part of a street name. (Example: "Diamonds and Roses" or "Brick or Tile").

(9)

Each name shall be of the commonly accepted spelling, according to a standard dictionary.

(10)

A street name must be appropriate, easy to read, and easy to pronounce (so that a child could use the name in an emergency situation).

(11)

Use of names with historic significance and in recognition of cultural diversity are encouraged.

(12)

Use of names of fallen officers is encouraged and may be required under subsection (c) below.

(13)

Street segments:

(i)

Where a through street makes a distinguishable change in direction and cannot be considered curvilinear, a separate name for each direction must be assigned.

(ii)

Where there is more than one access point from different streets to a circular loop street, only one access point may be designated as circle. It is preferable to separately name each directional segment of a circular or loop road.

(iii)

No street name may connect into any other street so as to create more than one intersection of the same named street.

(14)

The following are not permitted:

(i)

Names of similar pronunciation and/or spelling (Example: Foxglove Avenue and Foxclove Lane, or Briar Lane and Brier Drive).

(ii)

Duplication of an existing street name (or a very similar name), unless the new street is a continuation of the existing street. (Street segments are considered continuous only where there is less than a 250 foot centerline alignment offset.)

(iii)

Variation of the same name with a different suffix (Example: Alder Avenue, Alder Lane, Alder Diver). An exception to this is a court off of the same street (Example: Pine Avenue, Pine Court).

(iv)

Names that sound similar to nearby communities: Mountain House, Manteca, Lathrop.

(b)

Street suffix designations. Each new street should have one of the following acceptable street suffix (or type) designations:

(c)

Naming streets after residents killed in service. City staff will maintain a list of Tracy residents killed while in service of the United States. The listed service member must have been a Tracy resident, killed while serving in one of the branches of the armed forces, whether in wartime or peacetime.

(d)

Naming streets after deceased Public Safety Officers. City staff will maintain a list of police officers and firefighters who died in the line of duty and who were either employed by the City of Tracy or resided in the City at the time of their death.

Each new subdivision that has four (4) or more streets must name at least one street (not a court) for a Tracy resident killed while in the service and one street (not a court) after a public safety officer who died while on active duty, unless there are no names currently on the list.

(Ord. No. 1216, § 2(Exh. A), 5-17-2016; Ord. No. 1259, § 1(Att. A), 8-21-2018; Ord. No. 1335, § 19, 12-62022)

(a)

Purpose. This section establishes a process for considering a request to rename a public or private street within the city limits from a member of the public. The City may, in its discretion, change the name of a street by Council resolution following some public outreach, such as a public hearing or public notice in order to correct a misspelling or clerical oversights.

(b)

Standards. In addition to the standards set forth in section 9.40.020 (a) and (b) above, the following factors will be considered:

(1)

The number of businesses and/or residents directly affected. The fewer properties the better.

(2)

The number of businesses and/or residents indirectly affected, including those whose address is on a street accessed or served by the street under consideration.

(3)

Compatibility with existing street names.

(4)

Recognition of cultural diversity.

(5)

The costs of change to the City and the other affected properties.

(6)

Whether an action to approve the renaming might establish a desirable or undesirable precedent.

(7)

The effect of a rename request on the public's general connection with existing name.

(8)

The alternative of renaming sections of the proposed street and how the length of the street sections may affect the continuity of the street.

(c)

Procedure: Renaming the street. This subsection (b) applies when the base name of the street may change.

(1)

Request. A person or entity requesting a street name change must file an application with the department, on a form provided by the city. The request must state the reason for the change being proposed, the street proposed for consideration of a name change, the proposed new name(s), and include a map showing the street location. The director will schedule the request for City Council consideration at a public hearing, with a brief analysis of the request. Following the hearing, the City Council may decide whether to proceed with rename study.

(2)

Study and report. If the Council approves a study, the applicant is then required to enter into a cost recovery agreement with the City, and pay a deposit to cover the renaming expenses. The department will:

(i)

Determine on a case by case basis the appropriate scope of public outreach, public notice and neighborhood workshop;.

(ii)

Seek written comments from, at minimum, the City's Police Department, Fire Department, Finance Department, San Joaquin County Public Safety and United States Postal Service.

(iii)

Prepare a staff report for the City Council providing a detailed analysis of the request and including alternatives if available.

(3)

Decision. At a public hearing, Council will consider the requested street renaming. The City Council may approve the name change, by resolution, if it finds that the change is in the public interest.

(d)

Procedure: Minor change. This subsection (d) applies when: only the street suffix may change; the base name of the street requires a minor correction to meet commonly accepted spelling; or the street is not a public street.

(1)

Request. A person or entity requesting a street name change must file an application with the department, on a form provided by the City. The request must state the reason for the change being proposed, the street proposed for consideration of a minor name change, the proposed new name(s), and include a map showing the street location.

The applicant must provide the signatures from at least seventy (70%) percent of property owners (or by a homeowners association or similar common ownership organization) whose property is addressed on the street under consideration, indicating that they agree with the proposal.

The director will determine whether to proceed with the renaming process.

(2)

Study and report. If the director determines to proceed with the renaming process, the director:

(i)

May conduct one public meeting before making recommendation to the City Council.

(ii)

Mail out notices to all property owners and tenants within the affected area and within a 100 foot radius of the street

(iii)

Prepare a staff report for the City Council providing a detailed analysis of the request and including alternatives if available.

(3)

Decision. At a public hearing, Council will consider the requested street renaming. The City Council may approve the name change, by resolution, if it finds that the change is in the public interest.

(Ord. No. 1216, § 2(Exh. A), 5-17-2016; Ord. No. 1259, § 1(Att. A), 8-21-2018; Ord. No. 1335, § 19, 12-62022)

(a)

Purpose. The purpose of this section is to provide a numerical addressing system for parcels and buildings within the City.

(b)

Street axis. South Street is designated as the east-west axis for the City, and the numbers on all streets running north or approximately so shall begin with 1 and 2 at South Street, the numbers running upwards consecutively block by block. Central Avenue-Holly Drive is designated as the north-south axis for the City, and the numbers on all streets running east and west or approximately so shall begin with 1 and 2 both easterly and westerly from this axis.

(c)

Numbering.

(1)

General. Each new parcel and building within the City must have an approved sequential numerical address and be consistent with the range of addresses found along the same street. Address numbers must be Arabic numbers or alphabetical letters. The property owner must maintain the address numbers.

(2)

Correction of out-of-sequence numbers. For already-existing parcels and buildings, the City may review any out-of-sequence address and modify it to be consistent with the range of addresses found along the street. A fraction address number (such as ½) is not allowed.

(3)

Even and odd numbering. Even numbers are on the south and east sides of the streets and the odd numbers are on the north and west sides of the streets. The numbering for various types of developments shall be as determined by the director.

(4)

Size, location and lighting. New and existing buildings shall be provided and maintained with approved address identification. The identification shall comply with all of the following:

(i)

Not less than four (4) inches high with a one-half-inch stroke width.

(ii)

Located minimum of six (6) feet above grade.

(iii)

Illuminated at night. Illumination shall be either internally or externally at an intensity of 5.0 foot-candles.

(iv)

Numbers shall contrast with the background.

(v)

Numbers shall be placed on a portion of the building that is both legible and visible from the street that fronts the property.

(vi)

Numbers shall not be placed on a moveable door and shall not be obstructed from view from the street.

(vii)

Addresses shall be Arabic numbers or alphabetical letters and conventional in form.

Additionally, where access is by means of a private road and/or the building address cannot be viewed from the public way, a monument, pole or other approved sign or means shall be used to identify the structure. Where required by the fire code official, address numbers/figures shall be provided in additional approved locations to facilitate emergency response.

Multiple tenant spaces serviced by vehicular access to the rear of the building through any driveway, alleyway, or parking lot shall have numbers or addresses placed prior to occupancy on all new and existing buildings as to be plainly visible and legible from the rear access way.

Multiple tenant spaces serviced by rear access through a corridor, exit court, or exit yard shall have approved numbers or addresses displayed on the rear of the tenant space. Multiple tenant spaces that front on interior walkways or pedestrian malls shall have approved numbers or addresses placed over the entrance door in all new and existing buildings. An illuminated annunciator or directory board shall be required at every entrance where deemed necessary by the fire code official.

(Ord. No. 1216, § 2(Exh. A), 5-17-2016; Ord. No. 1274, § 18, 11-19-2019; Ord. No. 1335, § 19, 12-6-2022)

Chapter 9.44 - BOARD OF APPEALS[[5]]

Footnotes:

--- ( 5 ) ---

Editor's note— Sec. 3 of Ord. No. 1176, adopted Nov. 20, 2012, amended Ch. 9.44, §§ 9.44.010— 9.44.040, and Sec. 4 of said ordinance deleted § 9.44.050. Former Ch. 9.44 pertained to the Building Board of Appeals and derived from prior code §§ 9-11.01—9-11.04; Ord. 1111, 2007; and Ord. No. 1157, adopted Apr. 5, 2011.