(a) Participation in Public Initiated Street Naming and Renaming.
(1) The process of selecting a street name for a public right of way shall be limited to the owners of property that is addressed from, or is vacant and has the potential to be addressed from, the right of way in question
(2) The process of selecting a street name for a private right of way shall be limited to the owners of property that has legal access to use and is addressed from, or is vacant and has the potential to be addressed from, the right of way in question.
(3) The owner of the property and/or addressable structures served by a single- owner access driveway shall be the sole participant in the process of selecting a street name for such single-owner access driveway.
(4) Nonowner residents (renters or tenants) shall not participate in the street naming and renaming process.
(b) Procedures for Public Initiated Street Naming or Renaming.
(1) Requests for street naming or renaming by individuals shall be by written petition submitted to the Department. The petition shall include the proposed street name and conform to the following process and submission requirements:
A. For public rights of way, each property that is addressed from, or is vacant but has the potential to be addressed from, the right of way in question, and all owners of such property excluding the lien holder(s) of a deed of trust shall be listed on the petition.
B. For private rights of way, each property that has legal access to use and is addressed from, or is vacant but has the potential to be addressed from, the right of way in question and all owners of such property excluding the lien holder(s) of a deed of trust shall be listed on the petition.
C. For single-owner private access driveways, each property and/or addressable structure served by such single-owner private access driveway and all owners of such property excluding the lien holder(s) of a deed of trust shall be listed on the petition.
D. One listed owner per identified property shall certify that they approve of the change being requested and their signature shall be required on the petition.
(2) Department staff shall review the proposed street name for conformance with the applicable sections of this chapter and these Codified Ordinances. If the proposed street name is not in conformance, Department staff shall assist the requestor(s) with generating an approvable street name.
(3) All such public initiated requests to name or rename a public or private right of way, or single-owner private access driveway, made in accordance with this section shall be subject to the approval of the Director.
A. The Director shall provide at least one (1) owner of each property listed on the petition with written notice of the new street name and its effective date.
(c) Street Name Reservation Process.
(1) The applicant shall submit, in writing, a list of desired street names to the Department and shall request street name reservations.
(2) Department staff shall review the list of desired street names for conformance with the applicable sections of this chapter and these Codified Ordinances, and notify the applicant, in writing, of the approved street names and the expiration date of the reservation.
(3) Street names shall be reserved for a period not greater than three years. The Director may extend such street name reservations beyond the three-year time limit upon the request of the applicant for a maximum of two one-year extensions.
(4) In the event that a street name reservation request is submitted in conjunction with a preliminary subdivision application or site plan application, and such preliminary subdivision application or site plan application is approved, the accepted street name shall be reserved for the life of the preliminary subdivision application or site plan application. If a preliminary subdivision application or site plan application is not approved before the street name reservation expires, the applicant shall be notified, in writing, by the Department of the impending expiration. At that time the applicant may request to have the street name reservation extended.
(d) Street Naming in the Land Subdivision and Development Review Process.
(1) All proposed public and private rights of way in a development project shall be named during the land development application review process.
(2) Developers or their agents may contact the Department prior to the submission of plans to check the viability of proposed street names.
(3) The Department shall work to permit the developer to use street names requested, provided that such street names are in conformance with the applicable sections of this chapter and these Codified Ordinances.
(4) Proposed street names shall appear on all preliminary subdivision plats, subdivision plats, and site plans.
(5) Street names proposed through the land subdivision and development process shall be reviewed and approved or denied during Department of Building and Development staff referral, including street-type designations.
(6) Street names shown on an approved record plat and/or site plan shall be reserved only for the period that the plat and/or plan remains valid. Upon receipt of notification by a developer that the plat and/or plan no longer remains valid, the reserved street names shall be made available by the Department.
(7) Subdivision plats and/or plans shall not be approved and released for recordation, nor building permits issued, until approved street names and street-type designations are shown correctly upon such plats or plans. (Ord. 92-01. Passed 1-21-92.)
(8) All the discretion of the Director, a street name exhibit showing the street layout and associated street names for an entire development, may be required to accompany a preliminary subdivision plat, subdivision plat, or site plan application.
(e) Changing Street Names After Construction. Requests from the public to change the street names of a public or private right of way shall not be accepted or approved after construction of, or issuance of addresses for, the right of way in question, whichever comes first, except as provided in Section 1020.05
(h) or 1020.07
(a) and (b).
(f) Director Initiated Street Naming and Renaming.
(1) The Director shall have the authority and discretion to initiate the process to select a street name for any previously unnamed public or private right of way or single-owner private access driveway if the lack of a street name has caused or would create an adverse impact to public safety.
(2) The Director shall have the authority and discretion to initiate the process of renaming a right of way or single-owner private access driveway, or portion(s) thereof, if the street name has caused or would create an adverse impact to public safety and/or if a right of way construction project, including but not limited to, right of way extensions, intersection realignments, right of way relocations, and right of way vacations and abandonments, causes the street name of a right of way or single-owner private access driveway, or portion(s) thereof, to no longer be in conformance with the general naming standards and the street-type abbreviations, designations, and definitions of this chapter. For the purpose of the administration of this section, general naming standards that apply to proposed street names shall also apply to existing street names.
A. The Director’s selection of the right of way or single-owner private access driveway, or portion(s) thereof, to be renamed may be based on but shall not be limited to the following criteria:
(i) The number of properties currently addressed from the right of way or single-owner private access driveway, or portion(s) thereof.
(ii) The cost to the County to rename the right of way or single- owner private access driveway, or portion(s) thereof.
(iii) Whether polling places are addressed from the right of way or single-owner private access driveway, or portion(s) thereof.
(iv) Effects of the renaming on continuity of street names between the County and incorporated Towns.
(v) Effects of the reaming on the conformance of the street name of the right of way or single-owner private access driveway, or portion(s) thereof, with the continuity standards of Section 1020.05(e).
(vi) Public safety.
(3) Property that is considered to be affected by the process of selecting a new street name for the right of way or single-owner private access driveway, or portion(s) thereof, to be renamed shall be limited as follows:
A. For a public right of way, only property that is addressed from, or is vacant and has the potential to be addressed from, the right of way, or portion(s) thereof, in question shall be considered affected property.
B. For a private right of way, only property that has legal access to use and is addressed from, or is vacant and has the potential to be addressed from, the right of way, or portion(s) thereof, in question shall be considered affected property.
C. For single-owner private access driveways, only property served by the single-owner private access driveway in question shall be considered affected property.
(4) The Director shall have the sole discretion to select proposed street names for the right of way or single-owner private access driveway, or portion(s) thereof, to be named or renamed.
A. The Director shall select only one (1) proposed street name for the right of way or single-owner private access driveway, or portion(s) thereof, to be named or renamed, if, in the Director’s sole discretion, the use of any other street name would create an adverse impact to public safety. If only one (1) street name is selected by the Director, the Director shall provide at least one (1) owner of each affected property with written notice of the proposed naming or renaming. Such notice shall provide said affected property owners with a minimum thirty (30) day comment period and specify the date by which written objections in regard to the proposed naming or renaming shall be submitted to the Department. Such notice shall also provide said affected property owners with a description of the basis for the proposed naming or renaming, the process for such naming or renaming, and the process for submitting written objections to the Department. Written objections shall, at a minimum, describe the basis for the objection. Written objections postmarked after the specified date shall not be accepted. If no written objections postmarked before or on the specified date are received, the Director shall approve the proposed naming or renaming, and shall provide at least one (1) owner of each affected property with written notice of the new street name and its effective date. If any written objections postmarked before or on the specified date are received, the Director shall forward the proposed naming or renaming, and copies of all accepted written objections, to the Board of Supervisors for action.
B. If, in the Director’s sole discretion, the use of other street names for the right of way or single-owner private access driveway, or portion(s) thereof, to be named or renamed, would not cause an adverse impact to public safety, the Director shall request a list of proposed street names from the affected property owners. Department staff shall review the list of proposed street names for conformance with the applicable sections of this chapter and these Codified Ordinances. If a proposed street name is not in conformance, Department staff shall assist the property owner(s) with generating an approvable street name. Once said list contains only approvable street names, the Director shall compile the street names on a ballot for voting, and provide one (1) copy of such ballot to at least one (1) owner of each affected property. Each affected property shall be provided one (1) vote, regardless of the property’s actual number of owners. The Director shall provide said affected property owners with a minimum thirty (30) day period to return the ballot, and the ballot shall specify the date by which the ballot shall be returned to the Department. Ballots postmarked after the specified date shall not be accepted.
(i) Nonowner residents (renters or tenants) of an affected property shall not participate in the voting process.
(ii) The street name with the majority of votes from the accepted ballots shall be approved by the Director. In the event that there is no participation from the affected property owners, the Director shall select and approve a street name for the right of way or single-owner private access driveway, or portion(s) thereof, in question. The Director shall provide at least one (1) owner of each affected property with written notice of the new street name and its effective date.
(iii) In the event that none of the proposed street names receives a majority of votes from the accepted ballots, the Director shall forward the proposed naming or renaming to the Board of Supervisors for action.
(5) Each action of the Board of Supervisors in regard to a street naming or renaming pursuant to this section shall contain specific findings in regard to the stated purpose and intent of this chapter as follows:
A. Whether the proposed naming or renaming would facilitate the provision of adequate public safety services.
B. Whether the proposed naming or renaming would relieve conditions causing difficulty in locating properties and buildings for Loudoun County Departments, the general public, and others.
C. Whether the proposed naming or renaming would further the provision of a uniform system of street naming for all properties throughout Loudoun County.
(6) If the action of the Board of Supervisors approved a proposed naming or renaming, the effective date of the new street name shall be thirty (30) days from the date of the Board of Supervisors’ action, unless a different date is directed by the Board.
A. Within five (5) business days of the adoption of such an action, the Department shall provide at least one (1) owner of each affected property with written notice of the new street name and its effective date.
(Ord. 94-09. Passed 4-20-94; Ord. 16-11. Passed 9-14-16.)