(A) To facilitate the emergency services and help ensure that public services are accurately and safely provided, it sometimes becomes necessary to change a previously assigned address which includes structure number and street name. When the city must necessitate a change of an assigned address or currently used street name, the property owners and/or lessees affected by the change shall be notified, via certified mail, of the proposed change. They shall then be given not less than 30 days to respond, in writing, to the proposed change. All written responses challenging the proposed change shall be weighed on their individual merit. Development Services may solicit the expertise of the E-911 coordinator, Post Office Address Management, Police Department, Fire Department, and/or Codes Department as needed, in order to arrive at an educated decision. Development Services shall give written notification of its final decision within 30 days of the initial response from the property owner and/or lessee and this decision shall be final. If a response, in writing, is not received from the property owner and/or lessees within the 30-day time period challenging the proposed change, the property owner and/or lessees shall be notified, via certified mail, that the change of address is henceforth in effect and then 21 days from the date of receiving this letter to post the correct street number.
(B) This policy change is, at times, in direct conflict with the previously established method of addressing within the city. As such, changes to existing addresses shall be made at times when the burden of change is lessened for the property owner. An example of this may be when a change of ownership occurs or a property with an addressable structure becomes available for sale. It is during this time period that Development Services shall consult multiple resources to determine if an address reassignment will be needed. If so, the provisions set forth in § 102.05(A) shall apply.
(C) If a property owner(s) desires a road name changed, a petition must be submitted to Development Services explaining the need for the change. The petition must include three potentially non-duplicate and non-confusing names and the signatures of all of the property owners accessible from the road. All affected property owners must be in favor of the change and indicate so on the petition. Name does not include the descriptor of the type of street (road, street, lane, court, drive, trail, avenue, way, boulevard and the like). If the road is included within a homeowner association neighborhood, the petition must be signed by the president, as well as every member within the association.
(1) Changes initiated by a petition (property owner/owners) are responsible for the cost of all new signs associated with the change.
(2) No renaming of roads will be considered that is a duplicate, or a road that is deceptively or phonetically similar to any existing road (regardless of type) in both Cleveland and Gaston Counties.
(D) The Codes, Customer Service, Utilities, Public Works, Fire, and Police Departments shall be notified of any address change that is implemented as indicated in the address notification list.
(1) The property owner and/or lessee shall make the appropriate changes of address within 21 days after receiving final written notice from Development Services.
(2) Other entities, relying on address data, shall be notified of any address change as indicated in the address notification list.
(Ord. 10-22, passed 9-28-2010; Ord. 23-33, passed 10-12-2023)