City of Canandaigua, NY Article II Street Naming

§ 596-2 Assignment of street names.

A. The authority to assign and reassign names to all new or existing public and private streets and all multitenant complexes and mobile home parks within the City of Canandaigua is vested in the City Council.

(1) Throughout this chapter, the term "street" shall be defined to include all rights-of-way improved for use for passage or circulation by motor vehicles, however named or designated.

(2) The assignment or reassignment of names for streets, complexes, and mobile home parks shall be effected by written resolution of the City Council.

B. In the case of new streets within subdivision developments, the developer may propose street names for consideration by the City Council. If it determines that the proposed street names are consistent with the principles of § 596-3, the Council will accept and assign the street names as proposed. If it determines that the proposed street names are inconsistent with the principles of § 596-3, the Council may request that the developer propose alternate names, or may proceed to assign street names which it shall select which are consistent with those principles.

C. The Council may assign a new name to any existing named or unnamed public or private street if it determines that it is in the public interest to do so. The selection of new names for existing streets shall be governed by the principles of § 596-3. The Council shall determine the official spelling and correct pronunciation of all street names.

D. All private streets or rights of way serving five or more parcels or individually numbered buildings shall be given an official name which shall be used in assigning addresses.

E. Wherever possible, each street name shall contain no more than 15 characters, including spaces and the abbreviated thoroughfare designation.

[Added 11-3-1994 by Ord. No. 94-10]

§ 596-3 Principles for street naming.

A. Avoidance of duplication.

(1) In general, no street shall have or be given a name which will duplicate or so nearly duplicate as to be confused with, the name of another street, building, complex, or area within the City of Canandaigua.

(a) Exceptions may be made for short stub streets or circles which may have the same name as the streets from which they originate, but with a different thoroughfare designation.

(2) Street names shall be nonduplicative within the City and nonduplicative of street names throughout Ontario County wherever possible.

(3) Street names which sound similar to other existing street names both within the City and throughout the county shall be avoided.

B. Continuity.

(1) A street running in one direction shall have one name only, and shall have the same name throughout its entire length, except as provided for by Subsection B(5).

(2) A new street which is the continuation of an existing street shall have the same name as the existing street.

(3) If a street deviates or varies sharply in direction for a substantial portion of its length, the portion of the street which deviates may be given a different name.

(a) All such name changes shall occur at the intersection of said street with another street.

(4) If a street is broken by an intervening land use such that sections of the street are unlikely to be connected in the future, the sections of the street shall have different names on either side of the void.

(5) A through street which crosses the east-west axis line [as defined by § 596-4C(2)] shall have the prefixes "north" (N) and "south" (S) attached to the corresponding street sections, and a through street which crosses the north-south axis line [as defined by § 596-4C(1)] shall have the prefixes "east" (E) and "west" (W) attached to the names of the corresponding street sections; or may change names as it crosses the axis line. This is the only exception to Subsection B(1) above.

C. Significance of street names. Streets may be named on the basis of a nearby physical, political, or geographic feature or landmark, or may be named after a person of historical importance to the City of Canandaigua. No street shall have a number or a letter of the alphabet as its name.

D. Thoroughfare designations.

(1) In general, the thoroughfare designation assigned to any new or renamed public street in the City of Canandaigua shall be consistent with the following definitions (abbreviations indicated in parenthesis):

(a) Street (ST) -- Any arterial, major street, collector or local through street which runs on a straight line in a north-south or east-west direction. (The preferred designation for all public streets.)

(b) Avenue (AVE) -- An arterial, major street, collector or local through street which runs on a straight line in an east-west direction.

(c) Boulevard (BLVD) -- A major street or highway divided by a landscaped median.

(d) Circle (CIR) -- A short minor street ending in a cul-de-sac; or a cul-de-sac which intersects at a right angle with another street; or a looped street.

(e) Court (CT) -- A minor street less than 500 feet long ending in a turnaround or dead end.

(f) Lane (LN) -- A minor street which is winding or curvilinear,

(g) Place (PL) -- A minor street longer than 500 feet which ends in a turnaround or dead end.

(2) All private roads shall be assigned the thoroughfare designation of "Drive" (DR).

(3) No new or renamed street in the City of Canandaigua shall be assigned the thoroughfare designation of "Road" (RD) or "Park" (PK).

E. Designation of multitenant complexes.

(1) Multifamily residential complexes containing more than one primary structure or more than nine dwelling units shall be assigned an official complex name, which shall be used instead of the name of the abutting public street for the purpose of assigning addresses.

(2) Multitenant commercial complexes (plazas, malls, office parks, etc.) located on a single tax parcel shall be assigned an official complex name, which shall be used instead of the name of the abutting public street for the purpose of assigning addresses.

F. Designation of mobile home parks. All mobile home parks shall be assigned an official park name, which shall be used instead of the name of the abutting public street, and instead of naming the private streets within the park, for the purpose of assigning addresses.

G. All addresses (tax roll) shall be capitalized, use no punctuation, and conform to the abbreviation standards of the US Postal Service for electronically scanned addresses.