Chapter 6 Mobility Standards Part 3 Street Name Change, Street Closing, Street Naming and Site Addressing Page 2 of 3

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6.3.4 Release or Modification of Private Access Easement

1. Authorization and Procedure
   
   Private access easements created by documents or plats approved by the Planning Commission may be modified or released in accordance with this section. Applications for closing a private access easement shall be made in accordance with the procedures established in Chapter 11.
2. Non-Utility Access Easements
   
   If an easement was established for private access only (and does not include an easement for sewer, drainage, or utilities), the Planning Director or designee may approve the release or modification of a private access easement if all of the following conditions are satisfied:
   1. The applicant has submitted the notarized consents of 100% of the property owners adjoining the easement to be modified or released, extending in either direction to the nearest intersecting streets (three or four way intersection).
   2. The easement is not necessary for access, or alternate appropriate access is provided.
   3. If the easement was created by a minor plat, the applicant must obtain approval of a revised minor plat in accordance with the Subdivision Regulations. If the easement was created by a recorded major subdivision plat, the applicant must obtain approval of an amendment to the record plat in accordance with the Subdivision Regulations.
3. Joint Use Easements
   
   If the easement is for private access, as well as sewer, drainage, or utilities, the Planning Director or designee may approve the release or modification of the easement if all of the following conditions are satisfied:
   1. The applicant has submitted the notarized consents of 100% of the property owners adjoining the easement to be modified or closed, extending in either direction to the nearest intersecting streets (three or four way intersection).
   2. Written approval of the closure or modification is received from MSD, Public Works, Louisville Water Company and Louisville Gas & Electric (or successor organization).
   3. Thirty (30) days advance written notice of the proposed closure or modification is given to the following agencies/utilities (or their successors) and no objections are received within that time period:
      1. BellSouth;
      2. Louisville & Jefferson County Board of Health;
      3. Planning and Design Services (E-911);
      4. Agency responsible for police and fire services
      5. Clerk of the legislative body having jurisdiction;
   4. All necessary utility easements are preserved or provided in alternate locations.
   5. The easement is not necessary for access or alternate appropriate access is provided.
   6. Easements created by minor plat must obtain approval of a revised minor plat in accordance with the Subdivision Regulations. Easements created by a recorded major subdivision plat, must obtain approval of an amendment to the record plat in accordance with the Subdivision Regulations.
4. Limitation of Commission Authority
   
   The above conditions may not be waived by the Planning Commission. If all of the above conditions are not satisfied, neither Planning and Design Services staff nor the Planning Commission may approve the closure or modification.
5. Recording
   
   Documentation of the release or modification shall be recorded in the office of the Jefferson County Clerk.

6.3.5 Street Names

1. Requirement for Naming
   
   All public streets shall be named in accordance with the provisions of this section. All private streets, frontage roads and ingress/egress easements providing the principal means of access to residential, commercial, industrial, or other properties or buildings shall be named.
   
   Exceptions: Private streets and easements that provide secondary means of access to parcels that are accessible from and qualify for an address on a named public or private street are not required to be named. Easements through a parking lot that link parcels in shopping centers or other multiple lot developments with the public street system shall be named if the Planning Director in consultation with the appropriate Fire Department determines that naming is required for emergency services purposes. The Planning Director, with comments from the appropriate Fire Department, may waive the requirement to name private streets based on a finding that naming would not benefit emergency service providers.
   
   Street Signs: All street signs, for public and private streets shall conform to the requirements of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. Permanent signs shall be installed no later than the date on which the road(s) are open to public use. Temporary signs may be required if the Director of Public Works determines they are necessary. The Director may determine the installation schedule and acceptable design (size, height, materials) of temporary signs. The party(ies) responsible for maintenance of private roads and access easements required to be named by this section shall provide, install and maintain street signs adequate to identify the private roads.
2. Agency Responsible for Assignment and Change of Street Names
   
   The assignment or change of all public and private street names shall be approved by the Louisville and Jefferson County Planning Commission or its designated representative for approval of street names. Street names that have been approved by the Commission are considered official street names and are to be included in the Louisville and Jefferson County Street Index File (SIF).
3. Responsibility for Coordination of Street Name Assignments
   
   The Division of Planning and Design Services (DPDS) shall be responsible for coordination with fire and police departments, public agencies, utility providers and others for the assignment or change of street names. This coordination will occur during the street name approval processes defined in this Chapter. DPDS will also be responsible for notification of all appropriate agencies of approved street names that have been entered into the Street Index File.
4. How Street Name Assignments May be Initiated
   
   The approval process for new street names may be initiated as Part of any of the following development approval procedures. Applicants for preliminary subdivision plan review are encouraged to seek street name approval as Part of the preliminary plan application.
   1. Preliminary Plan for Major Subdivision: Street names may be submitted for approval with a Preliminary Plan for Major Subdivision. Approval of the preliminary plan with street names may be given by the Planning Commission, the Technical Review Committee or the Planning Director. A street name review fee is not required for street name assignments that are Part of an application for preliminary subdivision plan review.
   2. Record Plat for Major Subdivision: Approved street names shall be shown on all major subdivision record plats. A street name review fee is not required for street name assignments that are Part of an application for major subdivision record plat review.
   3. Minor Subdivision: Street names must be submitted for approval with a Minor Subdivision Plat. Approval of the plat with street names may be given by the Planning Commission or the Planning Director. A street name review fee is not required for street name assignments that are Part of an application for minor subdivision plat.
   4. Condominium Property Regime Plan: Street names may be submitted for approval with a Condominium Property Regime Plan. Approval of the plan with street names may be given by the Planning Commission or the Planning Director. A street name review fee is required for street name assignments within condominium property regime plans.
   5. Development Plan Review: Street names may be submitted for approval with a General Development or Detailed District Development Plan associated with a zoning district change. Approval of street names may be given by the Planning Commission or the Planning Director. A street name review fee is not required for street name assignments that are Part of an application for general or detailed district development plan approval.
   6. Street Name Change: Street name assignment requests that cannot be submitted as Part of one of the development approvals listed above may utilize the street name change application process. Approval of these types of requests shall be given in accordance with Section 6.3.2 of this Land Development Code. A street name review fee is required for street name assignments.
5. Time Limits for Street Name Approvals
   
   Street name approvals are limited to the effective period of the associated development approval as listed in this Code. For example, a street name approval contained with a preliminary subdivision plan approval is effective for one year. At the end of the one year period, the preliminary subdivision plan and street name approvals would expire if the applicant has not filed a record plat for the property or requested an extension of the preliminary approval as provided in this Code.
6. Reservation of Street Names
   
   Property owners and registered agents may apply to the Division of Planning and Design Services for a street name reservation. Street name reservations have a maximum effective period of six months and may not be extended except through a new application process. A street name review fee is required.
7. Duplication of Existing Street Names Not Permitted
   
   To eliminate potential confusion and delay of emergency response, duplication of street names shall not be permitted. Streets with the same name but different street type designations shall be considered duplicate street names (e.g., Chesterfield Drive and Chesterfield Road are duplicates). Proposed street names and name changes shall be compared with street names listed in the Street Index File (SIF) to determine if the proposal would create a duplicate name.
8. Similar or Confusing Spelling of Street Names Not Permitted
   
   To eliminate confusion resulting from diction problems when individuals are reporting street names under stress, similar (text or phonetic) or confusing spelling of street names shall not be approved. The following are examples of the issues described in this section.
   
   

   Example	Problem
   Stonehenge vs. Stonehedge	Similar Spelling
   Rumplestiltskin	Difficult to spell
   Jotunheimen	Obscure
   Phunny	Phonetically confusing spelling

9. Length of Street Names
   
   Street names of 12 or fewer characters are encouraged to maximize visibility of street signs. New street names shall not contain more than 16 characters, which does not include either the direction (north, east, etc.) or the street type (lane, drive, etc.). Names shall not contain hyphens, apostrophes, or other non-letter characters. New street names shall not contain more than two words, exclusive of direction or street type.
10. Permanent Voids (Use of Same Name For Interrupted Streets)
    
    To preserve the continuity of street names, and accommodate permanent interruptions to streets including limited access freeways, streams or railroad facilities, the same street name shall not be continued on both sides of a permanent physical interruption to the road.
11. Continuation of Street Names
    
    Streets continuing through an intersection shall keep the same name. For commercial, multi-family, or townhouse developments that have an entrance or access through a publicly maintained cul-de-sac, a separate street name will be required for the entrance or access road in the event that it serves or is intended to serve two or more address numbers.
    
    Street names shall not be changed due to a change in direction of the street, nor shall a new prefix be used for those streets that meet the criteria for using a directional indicator in the street name.
12. Use of Directional Indicators in Street Names
    
    Directional indicators, such as north and west, shall not be included in street name proposals as a prefix or suffix to a street name. When streets cross the east/west or north/south zero baseline the appropriate directional indicator may be assigned by DPDS as Part of the street name approval process.
13. Street Type Designations
    
    Street type designations shall be assigned by the Planning Commission or its designee. Street names submitted for review will be evaluated for conformance with the criteria provided below. Street type designations that appear on approved subdivision, development and condominium plans shall be consistent with approved designations. Abbreviations of street type designations shall be consistent with NENA (National Emergency Number Association) standards as depicted in Appendix 6B. See table below for the categories which comprise the range of street types that may be approved.

Street type designations that are proposed that do not meet the criteria listed above will not be approved.

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