19.40.030 Rural addresses | Clallam County Code

19.40.030 Rural addresses.

(a) Road Names. All private and County roads shall be provided with names and identified in the County road index or private road register. A single route will not change names without a good reason. For example, a private road extending from the end of a dead-end County road will retain the same name as the County road, and a single road making a turn that will not later become an intersection will not change names at the turn.

The County shall strive to avoid duplication of road names.

Any road, public or private, serving multiple addresses in such a number or such a configuration that all addresses on said road cannot be adequately addressed as a multiple access driveway, as specified in subsection (2)(a)(ii)(B) of this section, shall be named and addressed with that road name.

Roads or driveways with six (6) or more existing or potential addresses must be named, except as provided for below. Roads or driveways with five (5) existing or potential addresses may be named if a majority of the abutting property owners so choose. Roads or driveways serving fewer than five (5) existing or potential addresses may be named and addressed as private roads if there are unique conditions that prevent the normal method of addressing on a shared driveway from functioning adequately in that situation.

In determining the need for a private road name, undeveloped lots may be excluded from consideration only if those served by the driveway so choose, recognizing that if the number or placement of new addresses changes in a way that cannot meet the above requirement, the driveway must then be named as a private road, and all addresses served by it addressed from that road.

(b) Road Type. Every road name will include the road type designator, such as “Road, Street, Avenue, Lane, Drive, etc.” following the road name, except numbered highways, which may include the designator before the highway number.

(i) Each road will have a designated origin. Generally, a road’s origin will be the beginning point of the road as accessed from another road, from major to minor roads, and from proximity to US 101, SR 112, and the nearest city or town. These road origins shall be established by the Clallam County Department of Community Development.

(ii) An exception to the above may occur adjacent to an urban address grid. If a road crosses the grid boundary, it may be given a false origin, such that address numbers or ranges of numbers are not duplicated anywhere on that road.

(iii) The precise point of origin for address measurement along a road will be the centerline of the intersecting road or highway. If the road does not originate at an intersection, a milepost type marker will be installed to precisely identify the origin. If a false origin is used, a milepost type marker will be placed where the road actually begins showing the address distance from the false origin to that point.

(d) Use of Directional Designators. If a road extends in two (2) directions from its origin, addresses and signs for each portion will include a directional prefix (N, S, E, or W) before the name, indicating which direction that portion extends from the designated origin. There will be no other use of directional prefixes or suffixes in the rural addressing system except when the road name includes a directional reference to a geographical feature.

(2) Site Address. Each site address will consist of an address number followed by a road name. For multiunit buildings or sites, a unit number may also be used.

(a) Address Number. All address numbers will consist of at least two (2) digits.

(i) Distance from Road Origin. All digits except the final digit indicate the address distance in hundredths of miles from the origin of the address road to the primary access to the site. If road length changes for any reason, the address distance will correspond to the permanent mileposts rather than the actual distance from the road origin. The distance component of addresses on US 101 and SR 112 will correspond to the Washington State Department of Transportation mileposts.

(ii) Final Digit. The final digit will indicate on which side of the address road the site is located, and its relative distance from that road. It may also differentiate sites with driveways closer to each other than 0.01 miles.

(A) Side of Road. When proceeding in the direction of increasing numbers, the last digit will be odd if the address is located on the left side of the road; it will be even if the address is located on the right side of the road.

(B) Relative Distance from Address Road. A final digit of either 0, 1, 2, or 3 will indicate that the site is near the road with either a short driveway or no driveway, or relatively near the road on a multiple access driveway. A final digit of either 6, 7, 8, or 9 will indicate that the location is accessed by a long driveway. A final digit of 4 or 5 may be used for intermediate locations.

On multiple access driveways, the final digit of any address will not be greater than an address located beyond that address on the same driveway. If the addition or relocation of addresses makes it impossible to meet this condition, the driveway must be named and addressed as a separate road.

(C) Adjacent driveways sharing the same address distance. If adjacent driveways are closer than 0.01 mi. (52.8 ft.) and must share the same distance number, the address(es) on the driveway nearest the origin of the address road will generally have a lower final digit than the address(es) on the far driveway, wherever possible.

(b) Optional Directional Prefix. If a road extends in two (2) directions from its origin, the addresses on each portion will include a directional prefix (N, S, E, or W) before the road name, indicating which direction that portion of the road extends from the designated origin. Addresses on each portion will be based on the distance from that common origin point.

(c) Road Name. Every address will include the official or registered name of the public or private road that is the address road for that site. The road name will include the road type designator.

(d) Optional Unit Number. Any addressed site which includes multiple apartments, suites, spaces or other units, may include the appropriate unit number in the address following the road name. The owner of a multi-unit address site will be asked to supply a map or drawing locating each unit adequately for guiding emergency response. Copies of such drawings will be provided to the appropriate emergency response agencies.