Street Names - Changes - FAQ
Q. Why should a street name be changed?
A. A street name should not duplicate another street name within Wake County, nor should it closely approximate the phonetic pronunciation of that name. Emergency service response (police, fire) and mail delivery can be affected by duplicate names in different locations.
Street name duplications may be carryovers from historical street names or may be due to new road construction, or realignment, connection of roads that were previously separate, or disconnection of existing roads that previously formed one continuous route. There also may be other cases where a street name change is desired by adjoining property owners. Unless there is a public purpose to be served, requesting a name change is not encouraged, for it requires considerable cost to the residents and to service providers such as the City and private utility companies.
Q. Who initiates the street name change?
A. The applicant should contact Development Plans Review at (919) 516-2626 in the City Planning Department to discuss the request. If the reason for a street name change is to eliminate or reduce problems associated with a street address or to facilitate emergency service delivery, then the City will initiate and process the street name petition. If a property owner or owners desire(s) a name change simply because another name is preferable, the property owner must initiate the petition for the street name change. A petition must be completed; which includes the current street name, the proposed name change, and the signatures of property owners adjacent to the road that favor such a name change. Also required is a copy of the recorded plat of the street and adjoining properties showing the current street name, a $250 filing fee, and a statement of why the name change is being requested.
Q. What is involved in the street name change process?
A. If the City is initiating the process and has not received a petition from one or more of the adjoining owners, the Planning staff will notify all affected property owners and tenants and solicit suggestions for a unique county-wide street name. Upon receipt of the responses, the Planning staff will review them for duplications, and resurvey the affected property owners and tenants to determine the most acceptable names from among the non-duplicated suggestions.
Once an acceptable name is determined, city Planning staff will draft a recommendation to be forwarded to the Raleigh Planning Commission for review and consideration. If one or more property owners have submitted a petition, it will accompany the recommendation. The Planning Commission will forward this recommendation to the Raleigh City Council for consideration. The City Council has two options at this point. If the staff survey or the petition submitted by a property owner reflects 100% property owner agreement with the proposed street name, then the City Council can adopt a resolution changing the name of the street to the proposed name without a public hearing. Otherwise, Council may adopt a resolution authorizing a public hearing. A notice will be sent to all affected property owners and tenants, and the hearing will be advertised in the legal section of the newspaper. At the public hearing, City Council may choose to do one of the following: adopt a resolution changing the name and set an effective date, deny the request, or send it to a City Council committee for further discussion.
Q. After the City Council changes a street name, when does it become effective and who does the City notify?
A. In most cases, the effective date will be either the July 1 or January 2 following Council action. In many instances, after communication with residents and property owners, an effective date agreeable to all parties can be reached. The City will notify the local utility companies, all City of Raleigh Departments, Wake County Government, North Carolina Department of Transportation residents and property owners when an effective date agreeable to all parties has been reached. The City will notify the local utility companies, all City of Raleigh Departments, Wake County Government, North Carolina Department of Transportation - Division of Highways, and U.S. Postal Service - Address Information Services. The individual property owners must notify all other parties. To assist with this process, the U.S. Postal Service provides a change of address kit. Parties to notify may include the N.C. Department of Transportation - Division of Motor Vehicles, Social Security Administration, banks and credit card companies, as well as others whom may regularly send mail to the previous address.
Process Description >>
|
