* Prior ordinance history: Ords. 218, 218A, 218B, 378 and 385.

In order to promote the convenience, safety and general welfare to the people of the county, there is established a coordinated system of road and highway numbers and names and house numbers in the county. (Ord. 526 § 1(part), 1989).

The following shall be excluded from the application of the system established in this chapter:
1. Incorporated cities having a house numbering system and wishing to retain their system.
2. All tribally owned lands within the North 1/2 of the Northeast 1/4 of Section 29, Township 8 South, Range 21 East, Mount Diablo Base and Meridian, California, (Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians,) Assessor’s Parcel Nos. 054-330-015, 054-330-025, 054-330-026, 054-330-027, 054-330-031, 054-330-032, and 054-330-033. (Ord. 526A § 3, 2003: Ord. 526 § 1(part), 1989).

Those areas surrounding incorporated cities or urbanized unincorporated areas may be excluded from the application of this system. The boundaries of such metropolitan areas surrounding incorporated cities shall, and surrounding unincorporated communities may, recommended by the county planning commission and established by ordinance by the county board of supervisors, with concurrence of the affected city council. (Ord. 526 § 1(part), 1989).

The metropolitan areas shall be assigned house numbers which need not relate to the county system of house numbers established by this chapter but which do relate to a system within the incorporated city or unincorporated community within each metropolitan area, provided the county shall exercise its authority within unincorporated areas contained in such metropolitan areas to the extent of adopting only such house numbering systems as, in its opinion will eliminate duplications, prevent confusion and will generally serve the purpose of this chapter. (Ord. 526 § 1(part), 1989).

The metropolitan areas may also employ a local system of street naming which may be based on a system existing at the time such metropolitan areas are established, providing such existing local systems shall first have been amended, if necessary, to eliminate duplication of names, confusing similarity of names or multiple names applicable to a street or segments of streets along a common alignment. (Ord. 526 § 1(part), 1989).

Any incorporated city may be included in the county-wide system at any time upon the presentation of an official request from such city to the board of supervisors or, in the case of unincorporated communities where a metropolitan area has been established, the county planning commission and the county board of supervisors may include the area comprising such metropolitan area in the county-wide system (Ord. 526 § 1(part), 1989).

Metropolitan areas surrounding and including incorporated cities shall be established in the following manner: The county planning commission shall:
A. Propose boundaries for each such metropolitan area;
B. Devise and propose a local system of house numbering as defined in Section 11.04.040, for each such metropolitan area;
C. Propose a local system of road and street names for each such metropolitan area which system shall include proposals for the amendment of the existing local road and street naming system, if necessary, to eliminate duplications of names, confusing similarity of names or multiple names applicable to a street or segments of streets along a common alignment. (Ord. 526 § 1(part), 1989).

In the case of unincorporated urban areas, metropolitan areas may be established either upon a petition of property owners residing in the proposed area, or upon the initiative of the county planning commission or the county board of supervisors. Except for the method of originating such proposals for the establishment of metropolitan areas the procedure shall be the same as that provided in Section 11.04.070. (Ord. 526 § 1(part), 1989).

Any metropolitan area as provided in Sections 11.04.070 through 11.04.090 shall be adopted through the medium of a map on which shall be shown the exact boundaries and all other pertinent and necessary information. (Ord. 526 § 1(part), 1989).

The system shall consist of a “single quadrant” having an east-west base line and a north-south base line. The east-west base line shall be the south line of Section 25, Township 13 South, Range 15 East, M. D. B. & M., this being the most southerly section line in the county. The north-south base line shall be the west line of Sections 14, 23, 26 and 35, Township 10 South, Range 13 East, M.D.B. & M., this being the most westerly section line of the county. (Ord. 526 § 1(part), 1989).

The base lines, as defined in Section 11.04.100, shall be used for determining the designation of numbered thoroughfares and house numbering. (Ord. 526 § 1(part), 1989).

A. Public Thoroughfares. All public thoroughfares having an east-west direction shall be called “Avenues” and all public thoroughfares having a north-south direction shall be called “Roads.” Thoroughfares having a diagonal or curved alignment shall be called “Drives,” “Boulevards,” “Roads,” or “Avenues” and shall be named rather than numbered.
B. Loop Roads. Loop roads may be known as a “Circle” or “Loop” if the house numbering system is not confused thereby and if it is agreeable to the planning department.
C. Connecting Roads.
1. A short connecting road (less than three hundred feet) that ties two streets by forming a “T” or “Y” intersection with both shall be known as a “Way” and shall be named the same name as one of the two streets it connects. If one is more major than the other, it shall have that name;
2. If the “Way” is in line with an existing road projected and the “Way” continues along the line of that projection, it may be named for the projected street if such naming facilities order and organization of street names or house numbering;
3. Connecting roads longer than three hundred feet may have individual names or they may be called “Ways” as in subsection (C)(1) of this section, depending on the location and special circumstances.
D. Cul-De-Sacs.
1. Cul-de-sacs that extend to a property line as convenience for further future development may be treated as a separate street;
2. Short cul-de-sacs (less than three hundred feet) shall have the same name as the street from which they project but shall be known as “Place,” “Lane” or “Court”:
a. One cul-de-sac from any named street shall be known as “Place” (following the name of the street),
b. Two cul-de-sacs from any named street shall be
known as “Place” for the longer and “Court” for the shorter (following the name of the street),
c. Three cul-de-sacs from any named street shall be known as “Lane” for the longest, “Place” for the second longest and “Court” for the shortest (following the name of the street),
d. More than three cul-de-sacs shall require special consideration of circumstances and design requiring that many;
3. Long cul-de-sacs (more than three hundred feet):
a. May have separate names from the street of their origin if circumstances justify it,
b. May be called “Place” or “Lane” but not any of the terminology denoting through streets,
c. In mountain areas may be called a “Trail” or “Drive” as well as names specified in subsection (D)(3)(b) of this section,
d. Shall be named for an existing street projected if such exists or is planned and orderliness or organization of naming and numbering is desirable.
E. Other Naming.
1. Where necessary compass directions may be added to portions of existing county roads:
a. Where such an addition would be desirable to facilitate house numbering or street definition,
b. Where the planning department recognizes the desirability of such a change;
2. “Exotic” terminology may be used for roads if the adoption of such terminology of the county system is justified and compatible with the surrounding area. “Exotic” refers to any terminology not mentioned or described by this chapter.
F. Street names shall be appropriate for the area in which they are being used and may be changed at the discretion of the planning commission if they are incongruous with existing community names, or the continuation of such streets would interject incongruity in a developing pattern, or potential pattern of development. (Ord. 526 § 1(part), 1989).

Beginning at the base lines, there shall be, or deemed to be, a “road” or “avenue” consecutively numbered outwardly from the base lines at each section line. (Ord. 526 § 1(part), 1989).

A. For the purpose of this chapter, and unless otherwise specified, a mile shall be deemed to be the length of one side of a section.
B. “Avenue 1” shall be the road lying along the east- west base line, as defined in Section 11.04.100. Avenues shall be consecutively numbered northward from Avenue 1 at each section line.
C. “Road 1” shall be the road lying along the north- south base line, as defined in Section 11.04.100. Roads shall be consecutively numbered eastward from Road 1 at each section line.
D. Avenues, thoroughfares, freeways and roads located other than on a section line or quarter, half, or three-quarter section line may be designated by name.
E. Streets, roads or thoroughfares having diagonal or curved alignments may be named.
F. Where avenues or roads are designated by number, the words “Avenue” and “Road” shall be used as a prefix. When avenues, roads, and drives are used in conjunction with a name rather than a number they shall be used as a suffix. (Ord. 526 § 1(part), 1989).

The county planning department shall maintain records of the assigned names and numbers. Said numbers or names shall conform to the provisions of this chapter. Such records shall be considered as constituting a proposed official plan of “street naming or numbering and house numbering” as provided by state law. (Ord. 526 § 1(part), 1989).

Each mile, as defined in Section 11.04.140(A) shall be assigned eight hundred numbers, except in mountainous areas. House numbers assigned to any unit shall be determined by the position of the particular unit in the eight hundred units in the section mile. (Ord. 526 § 1(part), 1989).

The planning department shall determine where the “mountain area” begins as regards house numbering. The numbering system shall continue from the valley grid numbers at these points of interchange and be continuous with and contiguous to this system.
A. The grid system as a basis for determining house numbers shall be extended in to the mountain areas (based on one thousand numbers per mile) with the house numbers along any portion of each “mountain” road being based on where that road intersected a grid section line. Each section line would have a hypothetical avenue or road designation based upon the continuation of the valley road numbering system. The terminal numbers of each series of one thousand shall be determined by where a road crosses the enclosing section line.
B. The planning staff, in a report filed with the planning commission and board of supervisors, shall determine whether or not each road is trending north-south or east-west as a basis for house numbers and it shall so continue for its entire length. Under special circumstances, a road may change numbering sequence along its length, if the ultimate destination of the road has changed direction. In such cases a compass direction shall be added to the road or street, as either a prefix or suffix, to clarify the numbering change.
C. Each mile grid shall be further divided into one-fourth mile markers. These markers would denote the numbers 250, 500, 750, and 1000 or “0”. It should be noted that 500 is the half-section line and “0” or 1000 is the respective section line. In each section these quarter section marks would be projected across the section (on a map) and that segment of a road, (of which the overall direction has been determined) that lines between two projected quarter section lines shall be divided into the appropriate number of feet that shall be used to determine the distance between house numbers depending on the length of the road as measured along the ground and divided by two hundred fifty.
D. In places where roads are shortened in the process of improvement (as occurs continuously);
1. If the numbering system is already established and the distance that is shortened is small, the same range of numbers will be used as were allocated for the original road distance, but corrected to the new length;
2. If the straightening of a road is extensive, the numbering would be corrected at the quarter mile projected grid intervals. (See subsections (C) and (E) of this section).
E. For those sections that are slightly more or less than one mile, the division or breaking points for establishing the numbers 250, 500 and 750 will be at the recognized quarter section points as described by accepted
surveys.
F. If physiography or street design in the valley area create the same circumstances of road patterns common to the mountain area, the same methods of numbering may be applied within the mile grids.
G. A house number shall be issued with each building permit, whenever possible.
H. All existing dwellings and all inhabitable structures shall be issued a house number. (Ord. 526 § 1(part), 1989).

All numbers issued on the north and/or east side of a road shall be odd numbers and all numbers issued on the south and/or west side of a road shall be even numbers. All diagonal or curved roads shall be assumed to be north-south or east-west, and odd and even numbers shall be distributed accordingly. Meandering, loop or other thoroughfares having irregular alignments may be assigned numbers best suited to serving the purpose of this chapter and it shall be the duty of the county planning department, and an administrative policy, to determine the application to be employed. (Ord. 526 § 1(part), 1989).

Every person owning, controlling, occupying or using any house, store, or other addressable structure (as determined by the planning department) in the county shall install and maintain permanently on such structure the number issued, subject to the following provisions:
A. The number shall be made of a durable material, three inches minimum height, one-half-inch stroke, contrasting with the background colors;
B. All such numbers shall be of such type and so placed as to be easily visible and legible from road, avenue, drive, boulevard, or other way or place upon which said premises front. If the structure is not visible from the road, avenue, drive, boulevard, or other way or place upon which said premises front, then the house number shall be permanently posted at the driveway access, visible from both directions of travel. House numbers posted at driveway accesses on one way roads shall be visible from the direction of travel and the opposite direction. Additional permanent postings, along the driveway, shall be made wherever they are necessary for clear direction to the structure. Where multiple addresses are required at a single driveway, they shall be mounted on a single post;
C. The house numbers shall be posted within the following time schedule:
1. Within thirty days after issuance of a house number to an existing structure,
2. Prior to final inspection of the building permit on new structures,
3. Prior to final inspection of an installation permit for manufactured housing. (Ord. 542 § 1(part), 1991: Ord. 526 § 1(part), 1989).

Any house number existing on the date the ordinance codified in this chapter becomes applicable to the premises, and which is different than the new number issued pursuant to this chapter shall be removed within thirty days after notice of the issuance of the new house number. (Ord. 526 § 1(part), 1989).

It shall be the duty of the county road commissioner to place signs for identifying roads, avenues, streets and thoroughfares as designated by this chapter and to install such signs in conformity with the minimum standards as follows:
A. Size of letters, numbers and symbols for street and road signs shall be a minimum of three-inch letter height, one-half-inch stroke, reflectorized, contrasting with a background color of the sign;
B. Street and road signs shall be visible and legible from both directions of vehicle travel for a distance of at least one hundred feet;
C. Height of street signs and road signs shall be uniform county-wide, and meet the visibility and legibility standards of this chapter;
D. All street and road signs shall be mounted and oriented in a uniform manner.
When new subdivisions are developed or wherever a street is named, it is the responsibility of the developer or individual naming the street to provide street signs. The specifications for the signs shall be according to the requirements of the road commissioner, and where provision for a street sign is provided for in Title 17, installation shall be so covered by that title.
In circumstances where installation is not covered by Title 17, the road commissioner shall specify the requirements with all costs to be paid for by the developer or individual.
In circumstances where existing roads have been accepted by the county, it is the responsibility of the county road commissioner to establish street signs at each intersection, or other locations where he deems it necessary. (Ord. 542 § 1(part), 1991: Ord. 526 § 1(part), 1989).

The last three digits in a multiple digit number represent position of the house number in the section mile.
In each mile, only the numbers 100 to 899 shall be used, except in mountainous areas.
Digits preceding the last three digits represent the number of the next avenue number south, or the next road number west, as the case may be (as defined in Section 11.04.130.) (Ord. 526 § 1(part), 1989).

All numbers shall be issued by the county planning department. The installation of the house numbering system established by this chapter shall be accomplished progressively and in such manner as the county planning department shall from time to time direct. (Ord. 526 § 1(part), 1989).

Housing numbers conforming to the provisions of this chapter shall be assigned by written notice and in such form as shall be directed by the county planning department. Complete and accurate records of the numbers issued and assigned shall be kept in such form as the county planning department may direct. (Ord. 526 § 1(part), 1989).

No department, official or public employee shall issue any number which is in conflict with the provisions of this chapter or use or allow to be used any such conflicting number on any permit, license or other public record. (Ord. 526 § 1(part), 1989).

After the date the provisions of the ordinance codified in this chapter become applicable to any thoroughfare, all departments, officials and employees of the county, in referring to any thoroughfare in any public record shall employ for the purpose the number or name and descriptive title (avenue, road, drive, boulevard) of the thoroughfare established by this chapter. (Ord. 526 § 1(part), 1989).

After the provisions of this chapter become applicable to any area in the county, every person owning, controlling or occupying any structure required by this chapter to be numbered who fails, neglects or refuses to procure, place, attach and maintain numbers on such premises and remove old numbers as provided herein, or who fails to place, attach or maintain the appropriate numbers on any new or altered structures within the time schedule set in Section 11.04.200 is guilty of a misdemeanor. (Ord. 526 § 1(part), 1989).