Agenda - Public Works Committee - 04/18/2006

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CASE CONSIDER MODIFYING ADDRESS SIGNING REQUIREMENTS By: Steven Jankowski, City Engineer Background:' As a result of a recent 911 call to a town house address it became apparent that not all town house addresses are visible from the street on which their address is assigned. This is the case in instances where short driveways off the named street services as many as eight or more residential units. These driveways are too short and numerous to be practically assigned individual private street names. Yet emergency responders and the general public need to be able to locate an address without having to drive down these short stubs checking for address numbers. Staff suggests that a policy be adopted which would require that an address plaque be required on all multiple unit driveways where the house address cannot be clearly seen from the street on which the ad&ess is located. To insure that such address tags meet minimum standards for reflectivity and conformity it should be the City Public Works Department's responsibility for the installation and maintenance of these address tags. Developers should be required to pay the cost associated with this requirement on all new developments s~milar to what they are currently required on for street and traffic signs that are required in their developments. A draft policy is attached to this case along with a sample sketch of the proposed tag. It is estimated that the cost for the purchase and installation of an address tag will be $200. A review of current multifamily subdivision is being made by staff to determine the cost of installing these address tags in existing neighborhoods. At this time it is estimated that 50 such address signs may be required at an estimated cost of $10,000. Staff is reviewing the development agreements ofmultifamily developments to determine which subdivisioni may be obligated to posting these address signs, since language had been formulated in some of the more recent development agreements on this subject. It was anticipated that the Public Works Depa~ bttent would purchase sign making equipment capable of producing these types of signs in 2007 which consists of a computer, a plotter, software, and sign materials at an estimated cost of $20,000. Staff estimates that the City can produce signs at half the vendor cost with this equipment. In addition, this sign making equipment will be a valuable asset to the department for providing signage for special community events, business access signage during detours associated with construction projects, and notice of restrictions that the Police Department may require. Recommendation: