TRAVERSE CITY — The Traverse City area gained worldwide attention in 2006 when a private road named “Psycho Path” won top honors for the “Silliest Street Name in the U.S.”
Located off M-72 in Leelanau County, the street’s outré moniker beat out nine other competitors from around the country, including “Divorce Court” (in Heather Highlands, Pennsylvania) and “This Ain’t it Road’’ (in Dadeville, Alabama).
Psycho Path was featured on NBC News and garnered headlines from dozens of newspapers around the globe.
Fast-forward 18 years to present day: The rapid pace of new construction is prompting county officials to update the official street and road naming ordinance for Grand Traverse County. Their goal is to prevent confusion and improve the delivery of public services, particularly in new developments and on properties with private street names.
Uniform naming rules aren’t just “nice to have,” said County Administrator Nate Alger. They literally can be a lifesaver.
In an emergency, every second counts for first responders, such as law enforcement, firefighters and ambulance teams. Confusing, non-standard or duplicative road names can delay the arrival of vital assistance when it’s needed most.
Postal carriers, utility workers and county agencies also depend on standardized road names and address protocols to get their jobs done.
For example, if a resident reports a pothole problem to the county road commission, the patching crews could find it difficult to fix the problem if 10 county roads have the exact same name.
“Good government depends on the efficient delivery of services,” Alger said. “You don’t want to wonder if your mail got delivered to the wrong address or if someone else got your package.”
The updated ordinance, which was submitted by Equalization Director Jim Baker, was approved by a unanimous county vote. It supplements – but does not supersede – any existing city or village authority for street naming and numbering.
RAPID GROWTH = MORE STREET NAMES
Growth is evident in almost every part of Grand Traverse County now.
In 2023 alone, more than 600 building permits for “private housing structures” were issued in Grand Traverse County, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and Federal Reserve Bank.
Some of those permits were for single-family homes, but many involve multi-unit projects such as condominiums, subdivision developments and apartment complexes. Naming a new roadway is often part of that mix.
For example, a new 60-unit apartment project called “The Flats of Acme Village” is now under construction just off Mt. Hope Road. Developer the Granger Group choose the name “Foothills Drive” for a street name – not to be confused with “Footpath Trail” in Mayfield Township.
Today, an internet search of all road and street names in the county leads to a 109-page spreadsheet with almost every kind and variation of name.
Some words are quite common. For example, the data set lists 23 different streets, roads and lanes that contain the word “maple” as part of the official name – from “Big Maple Court” in Garfield Township to “Sugar Maple Drive” in Blair Township. Nine different roads in the county are simply named “Maple Street” or “Maple Lane.”
WHAT’S CHANGING?
Even before the latest update, the “Street and Road Naming and Address Ordinance” prohibited duplicate names (with or without a different suffix); names having the same or similar pronunciation; and names with “unconventional complicated spelling.”
A county “Address Review Committee” has already been established to hear appeals and review road names that are deemed non-conforming.
If the problematic address “unreasonably interferes with accurate dispatch and response of emergency vehicles … or county services, which would affect the community’s health, safety and welfare,” then the address must be changed.
Ordinance violators are subject to a $100 per day fine, as well as injunctive orders authorized by state law.
Alger’s advice to developers and landowners: Consult the new ordinance before investing time and money in a street name or address that may be deemed non-conforming in the future.