Policy on Street Naming

1)    General

A.   The City Engineering Department will review all subdivision plats for proper street naming.  Street names shall be reviewed immediately prior to processing of the Final Plat.

B.   Variations of the same name with a different street designation shall be prohibited within the first word of the two (2)-word title or in the street extension (example:  Pine Road, Pine Street, and Pine Lane).

C.   A street name may only be changed at a cross-street intersection.  An exception may be granted or required to ensure address-numbering conformance.

D.   A name which is assigned to a street which is not constructed as a through street due to intervening land over which the street extension has been planned, may be continued for the separate portions of the planned through street.

E.   Two named streets per intersection is desirable.  The maximum number of street names at one intersection shall be three (3). 

F.   Street names shall be assigned such that no two (2) intersections would have the exact same combination of street names.  The exception shall be a “Circle” type street designation which by definition begins and ends at intersections with the same street.

G.   Approval of street names on a preliminary plat will not reserve the street name, nor shall it be mandatory for the City to accept it at the time of final platting.

H.   A minimum number of letters is desirable in a street name.  No street name shall consist of more than two (2) words nor exceed fourteen (14) letters, excluding prefixes (N, S, E, W) and type (St., Ave., Blvd.).  Special exceptions may be approved by the City Council (example: Martin Luther King Jr. Ave.).

2)   Name Selection

A.   Proposed names may be selected from a list of names maintained by the City Engineer (Appendix A).  Suggestions for names to be added to the list may be submitted to the City Engineer.

B.   Streets may be named after people with the following criteria applied:

                           a.      Only a person’s last name should be used as a street name unless additional identification is necessary to prevent duplication with an existing street name in the River Falls emergency services area.  Special exceptions may be approved by the City Council (example: Martin Luther King Jr. Ave.).

                           b.      Names of living persons should be used only in exceptional circumstances to acknowledge significant social or political contributions made to the community  25 or more years prior.

 C.   Street names should be avoided in accordance with the following criteria:

                           a.      Duplication of existing street names within the City of River Falls emergency response area by similar word spellings or sound shall not be permitted (example: Briar Lane and Brier Court, Beach Avenue and Peach Avenue, Apple Hill Road and Apple Road). 

                           b.      Discriminatory or derogatory names, from the point of view of race, sex, color, creed, political affiliation or other social factors.

                           c.      There shall be no re-use of former/discontinued street names.

                           d.      Use of North, South, East and West as part of the street name other than as a prefix in accordance with 3 below.

                           e.      Names of living people except in accordance with 2.B.b. above.

3)   Street Prefixes

A.   Streets directions/names break East-West at Main Street and North-south at Elm Street, or its closest alignment (i.e. Hazel Street), or an assumed extension of the dividing alignment.

B.   Streets that exist or may exist with the same name both north and south of Elm Street, or an assumed extension of the dividing alignment, shall be given a corresponding N or S prefix.

C.   Streets that exist or may exist with the same name both east and west of Main Street, or an assumed extension of the dividing alignment, shall be given a corresponding E or W prefix.

4)   Street type for new public or private roadways shall generally be designated according to the terms defined as follows:

A.   Avenue (Av):  A roadway aligned in a east-west direction conforming to the appropriate address gridline.

B.   Boulevard (Blvd):  A street with a divided pavement, either existing or planned, if the divided pavement ends, but the street continues, the same street name and suffix shall continue.

C.   Circle (Cir):  A roadway containing a closed loop beginning and ending at intersections with the same street, or where the looped street closes onto itself, that is not interrupted by a through roadway.

D.   Court (Ct):  A cul-de-sac of eight (8) lots or less that is not interrupted by a through roadway.

E.   Lane (La):  A cul-de-sac of nine or more lots that is not interrupted by a through roadway.

F.   Drive (Dr):  A curvilinear roadway of more than one thousand feet (1,000’) in length

G.   Parkway (Pkwy):  A special scenic route or park drive abutting a park, green way, or conservation  area where zoning or topography would prohibit development on at least one side of the roadway.

H.   Place (Pl):  A short curvilinear or diagonal roadway less than one thousand feet (1,000’) in length.

I.     Road (Rd):  A diagonal roadway more than one thousand feet (1,000’) in length.

J.    Street (St):  A roadway aligned in an north-south direction conforming to the appropriate address gridline.

5)   Renaming of Existing Streets

A.   Renaming Streets by Public Request

                           a.      In cases where property owners request to change the name of a street which has an existing approved name, the property owners may petition the City.  Property owner initiated requests under this section shall require seventy-five percent (75%) super majority approval of persons who own property that fronts on or is adjacent to the subject street.  The petition shall be dated and have a current mailing address of all petitioners.  A fee of $250.00 will be charged at the time of submission of a petition for street name change.  Street names shall not be changed more frequently than once every five (5) years under this provision. 

B.   City Initiated Renaming of Streets

                           a.      If just cause can be shown that a street name change would benefit the City from a public safety standpoint, or in other exceptional circumstances determined by the City Council, then the citizen initiated petition process may be waived and a city initiated street name change may be filed.

                           b.      The renaming of existing duplicated street names will be required in those cases where the general health and safety of the public is at risk (i.e., rapid property identification by emergency services).  Where duplicate names exist, the street serving the largest number of improved properties shall retain its name, unless otherwise decided by the City Council.  The other street(s) shall be renamed in accordance with this policy.

C.   Process for Renaming Streets

                           a.      Renaming of existing streets in accordance with the above provisions shall first be brought to the City Council where the request shall either be rejected or forwarded to the Plan Commission for further consideration.

                           b.      If forwarded by the City Council, Plan Commission shall make a recommendation to the City Council regarding renaming the subject street.

                           c.      A Public Hearing shall be held by the City Council prior to taking action to officially rename the subject street