Shasta County Municipal Code Ch. 12.16 Street Naming

The purpose of this chapter is to promote and protect the public safety, convenience, comfort, prosperity and general welfare of the county's residence by establishing requirements for naming of public and private roads, streets and highways in unincorporated areas of the county in order to:

A. Allow for locating of principal access to dwellings and businesses rapidly and with certainty;

B. Allow for emergency vehicles to respond quickly to calls, expedite postal and other delivery services;

C. Eliminate confusion and error and enable customers and friends to locate principal access to business establishments and residents.

(Ord. 93-13 § 1, 1993: prior code §§ 4800, 4801)

A. All roads, whether public or private, whether dedicated or not, shall be named or renamed pursuant to this chapter and such roads shall be known by the names assigned. The director of the department of resource management, or his designee, shall serve as a road name administrator (administrator) and shall ensure implementation of this chapter. The administrator shall proceed with a program to officially name all existing roads for which no name has been officially assigned, shall be responsible for officially naming all newly created roads and shall effect name changes where required by provisions of this chapter.

B. In performing duties required by this chapter, the administrator shall provide and maintain necessary standards to effect this chapter and the orderly and efficient management of the county road name program, including, but not limited to:

C. Standards for petitions, notification of proposed and new road names, posting for public hearings, maintenance of a county road index, and standards for name selection and road identification signs and signing for street limitations.

(Ord. 93-13 § 2, 1993: prior code § 4802)

Any county road may be officially named or renamed upon petition of two-thirds of the owners of each parcel adjacent to and served by the road or by recommendation of the administrator.

A. A petition for naming or renaming a county road shall be reviewed by the administrator for its compliance with this chapter including road name standards, upon which the administrator shall make a recommendation within thirty days after receipt of a valid petition. In case of an existing unnamed county road where no written protest has been received, the administrator may determine no hearing is necessary and authorize the naming of the road pursuant to Section 12.16.040(B).

Upon the administrator's recommendation for a hearing on a petition, the matter shall be set for public hearing before the board of supervisors. In absence of a petition, the administrator may also provide a recommendation pursuant to this chapter and then set a public hearing before the board of supervisors. The administrator may elect to schedule a public hearing before the planning commission prior to setting a hearing before the board of supervisors.

B. Notice of the public hearing shall be given by posted notice in at least three roadside locations within view of the road. Such posting shall be completed at least ten days prior to the date of the public hearing.

C. Fees for processing road name requests for renaming of roads shall be in accordance with those set by the board of supervisors.

(Ord. 93-13 § 3 (part), 1993)

Existing and new county and private roads which have not been officially named are to be named according to one of the following procedures:

A. Any existing county or private road within the unincorporated area of the county which has not been officially named by the board of supervisors may be officially named upon recommendation by the administrator and by motion of the board and without any resolution, hearing or notice. Such naming shall be by an order duly made and entered in the minutes of the board. Thereafter the road shall be known by the name thus designated.

B. Upon making a determination that no public hearing is necessary pursuant to Section 12.16.030(A), the administrator shall take action to approve a petition for naming a previously unnamed county road, after which the road shall be known by the name on the petition.

C. A petition for naming or renaming a private road may be submitted to the administrator if it contains at least two-thirds of the owners of each parcel adjacent to and served by the private road. The administrator shall review the petition for compliance with the county's road naming standards and make a determination of approval or disapproval of the proposed road name within thirty days. Upon the administrator's approval, the road shall be known by the name of the petition.

D. All unnamed roads which are newly created as a result of satisfied conditions of a land division map pursuant to the Subdivision Map Act shall be officially named by the administrator consistent with the conditions of the approved map.

(Ord. 93-13 § 3 (part), 1993)

No person shall mark, deface or alter any county road or private road sign which has been officially named pursuant to this chapter. No person shall mark or post any sign for any officially named road with any name other than the approved official name.

(Ord. 93-13 § 3 (part), 1993)