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Municipal Address Assignment & Address Change Policy
February 19, 2007
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THE CORPORATION OF THE CITY OF WINDSOR
POLICY
Service Area:
Procedure No.:
Departments:
Building & Development
Approval Date:
January 21, 2008
Division:
Development
Approved By:
CR22/2008
Effective Date:
January 21, 2008
Subject:
Municipal Address Assignment &
Address Change Policy
Policy Ref.:
Pages:
Replaces:
Date:
A. PURPOSE
1.
The purpose of the policy is to avoid inconsistency and confusion in finding properties, in
order to protect the health and welfare of the public and for efficient delivery of goods and
services, including mail, by providing operational principles for maintaining a municipal
address numbering system.
2.
This policy is consistent with the objectives of the Street Name Assignment and Name Change
Policy.
B. SCOPE
1.
This policy applies to the assignment of all new municipal address/unit numbers or change of
existing address/unit numbers within the City of Windsor, in consultation with the adjacent
municipalities of the Town of Lakeshore, the Town of LaSalle and the Town of Tecumseh.
C. RESPONSIBILITY
1.
The Building & Development Department, Development Division is responsible for the
assignment of municipal addressing for all structures and properties in the City of Windsor.
An address number assigned by the Building & Development Department is considered the
official Municipal Address Number, regardless of any other address number assigned by any
other outside agency or City Department.
D. MUNICIPAL ADDRESS ASSIGNMENT & ADDRESS CHANGE
1.
POLICY
1.1
In order to avoid confusion in locating properties to protect the health and welfare of
the public and for efficient delivery of goods and services, including mail, municipal
address numbers shall be assigned in accordance with the following principles.
Municipal Address Assignment & Address Change Policy
February 19, 2007
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2.
General Policies
a)
That the Detroit River shall be deemed the Starting Point (zero) for the purpose of
municipal addressing on streets running north and south. Where possible, municipal
addresses on the streets running north and south shall be numbered using a numbering
system starting at 0 and increasing by 100 with each block, southerly and outwardly
from the Detroit River towards the City of Windsor boundary.
b)
That Ouellette Avenue shall be deemed the East-West Directional Starting Point (zero)
for the purpose of municipal addressing on streets running east and west. Where
possible, municipal addresses on the streets running east and west, shall be using a
numbering system starting at 0 and increasing by 100 with each block, from Ouellette
Avenue outwardly in both an easterly and westerly direction towards the City of
Windsor boundary.
c)
That a municipal address may be assigned to a structure/legal lot of record, except
where otherwise permitted in this policy.
d)
That the east and north sides of a street shall be assigned "EVEN" address numbers and
the west and south sides of a street shall be assigned "ODD" address numbers.
e)
That an area with an established municipal address numbering pattern shall continue to
use that numbering pattern.
f)
That Cul-de-sacs shall be addressed with the lowest address numbers starting at the
intersection; except that addressing shall be continuous when a "Court" and "Street"
have the same name and intersect with each other.
g)
That a municipal address, whenever possible, shall be assigned to the street where
access to the property is gained or where the main entrance to a building is located.
Alternatively, a municipal address may be assigned to the legal lot frontage determined
by the zoning by-law for corner lots.
h)
That more than one municipal address may be assigned for multiple buildings on a
property if there are address numbers available in the hundred-block address range to
accommodate them without requiring changes to adjacent property addresses.
Otherwise one municipal address shall be assigned per property and each building on
the property will be assigned a Building Number (i.e. Bldg. 100), with Unit Numbers
being assigned, if required, representing the level or story of each unit within each
building and a unit number.
i)
That only whole numbers are to be used in the assignment of a separate Building
Number for each building on a property.
j)
It is not the policy to avoid any particular address number for any reason (i.e. 13, 44,
69, 666), nor is it the policy to assign "rounded-off" municipal address numbers (i.e.
50, 400, 555, and 1000).
Municipal Address Assignment & Address Change Policy
February 19, 2007
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k)
That municipal addresses will not be assigned to vacant or severed lands until such time
as an application for a building permit has been submitted or the conditions of the
approved severance application have been completely fulfilled. In cases where the
approval of a consent application creates a situation where the original address now falls
out of sequence from the newly created lots, it will have to be renumbered.
l)
That address numbers need only be displayed at the time of construction of a structure.
3.
Policies for New Development (See Figures 1 to 4):
a)
Single family dwellings - That a municipal address be assigned to each dwelling in
accordance with the City's street address numbering system.
b)
Semi-detached dwellings - That a municipal address be assigned to each of the two
dwelling units in accordance with the City's street address numbering system.
c)
Street Townhomes - That a municipal address be assigned to each townhome dwelling
in accordance with the City's street address numbering system.
d)
Fourplex Street Townhomes - That a municipal address be assigned to each townhome
dwelling consecutively based on the location of the driveway frontage in accordance
with the City's street address numbering system.
e)
Condominium Townhomes - That wherever possible, one municipal address shall be
assigned to each townhome dwelling on each Condominium property (Block), in
accordance with the City's street address numbering system. Where multiple buildings,
housing townhome dwellings are involved, one municipal address may be assigned to
each building on each Condominium property (Block), with unit numbers being
assigned to each townhome dwelling unit within each building.
i. Alternatively, if there are no addresses available to accommodate individual
addressing of townhomes on a Condominium property (Block), without
requiring changes to adjacent property addresses, then one municipal address
shall be assigned per Condominium property (Block) and each townhome
dwelling shall be assigned a Unit Number.
ii. If there are no addresses available to accommodate individual addressing of
townhomes or multiple buildings housing townhome dwellings on a
Condominium property (Block), without requiring changes to adjacent property
addresses, then one municipal address shall be assigned per Condominium
property (Block) and each building shall be assigned a Building Number (i.e.
Bldg. 100), with unit numbers being assigned, representing each townhome
dwelling unit within each building.
f)
Condominiums - Commercial or Industrial - That wherever possible, one municipal
address shall be assigned to each commercial / industrial unit or building on each
Condominium property (Block), in accordance with the City's street address numbering
system. Where multiple commercial or industrial buildings are involved, one municipal
address may be assigned to each building on each Condominium property (Block), with
Municipal Address Assignment & Address Change Policy
February 19, 2007
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unit numbers being assigned, if required, representing the level or story of each unit
within each building and a unit number [refer to item 3 k) - Unit Addressing].
Alternatively, if there are no addresses available to accommodate multiple
commercial or industrial buildings on a Condominium property (Block), without
requiring changes to adjacent property addresses, then one municipal address
shall be assigned per Condominium property (Block) and each building shall be
assigned a Building Number (i.e. Bldg. 100), with unit numbers being assigned,
if required, representing the level or story of each unit within each building and a
unit number [refer to item 3 k) - Unit Addressing].
g)
Residential Apartment Buildings (including Condominiums) - That one municipal
address be assigned per each apartment/condominium building and individual unit
numbers be assigned as required, representing the level or story of each unit within the
building and a unit number [refer to item 3 k) - Unit Addressing].
h)
Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional Sites - That one municipal address be assigned
per property, unless additional addresses are required to be assigned to multiple
buildings on a property to avoid confusion. For individual units within buildings, unit
numbers shall be assigned, if required, representing the level or story of each unit within
each building and a unit number [refer to item 3 k) - Unit Addressing].
Alternatively, if there are no addresses available to accommodate multiple
buildings on a property, without requiring changes to adjacent property
addresses, then one municipal address shall be assigned per property and each
building on the property shall be assigned a Building Number (i.e. Bldg. 100),
with unit numbers being assigned, if required, representing the level or story of
each unit within each building and a unit number [refer to item 3 k) - Unit
Addressing].
i)
City Parkland -That parkland properties, structures/facilities and features may be
assigned a municipal address based on the location, street access or parking areas, for
reference purposes, in the event of an emergency situation.
j)
Utilities - That addresses may be assigned to utility facilities for reference purposes in
the event of an emergency situation.
k)
Unit Addressing - That all units within any building shall be assigned a unique number
which represents the level or story of each unit within the building and a unit number.
All Residential units shall be identified as Apartments (i.e. Apt. 101)
All commercial/industrial, office or other unit types shall be identified as Units,
Suites, etc. (Unit 101; Suite 203)
Wherever possible units numbers are to be incremented by a multiple of 5
Examples:
a)
Fewer than 99 units per floor: assign numbers starting at the primary entrance
and continuing clockwise as follows:
i.) Single Story: 1-99
ii.) Multi-story: 1-199, 201-299, etc.
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February 19, 2007
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b)
Greater than 99 units per floor: assign numbers starting at the primary entrance
and continuing clockwise as follows:
i.) Single Story: 1-999 ii.) Multi-story: 1001-1999, 2001-2999, etc.
4.
New & Additional Municipal Address Assignment and Address Changes
4.1. The assignment of new municipal address/unit numbers or additional address/unit
numbers on an existing property, as well as the change of existing address/unit numbers,
requires the submission of and an "Application to Create or Change a Municipal
Address/Unit Number" and associated fee, to the Building & Development Department,
Development Division, for approval.
4.2. The Application should include appropriate mapping, illustrating the location of the
property subject to the addressing request, and a building floor plan if units are
involved, as well as a non-refundable processing fee payable to the City of Windsor.
E. ADDRESS SIGN REQUIREMENTS
1.
Standard Address Display Requirements:
1.1 Requirements For Residential Development With Less Than Three Units Per Lot: (See
Figure 1)
i.
All addresses shall be conspicuously placed, in a colour contrasting with the
background, attached to the building or on a mailbox or a free-standing sign.
ii.
All numbers must be clearly visible to traffic in either direction from the street to
which each unit is addressed.
iii.
Size requirements - address displays located no farther than 25 feet from the
curb line shall have numbers not less than three inches in height. If the only
address display for a unit is farther than 25 feet from the curb line, the numbers
shall be not less than six inches in height.
1.2 Requirements For Commercial Or Industrial Development With Less Than Three Units:
(See Figure 2 and Figure 3)
i.
All addresses shall be conspicuously placed, in a colour contrasting with the
background, on a free-standing sign or attached to the building.
ii.
All numbers must be clearly visible to traffic in either direction from the street to
which each unit is addressed. Buildings with parking and access areas provided
at their side or rear shall have additional numbers displayed on the building that
are visible from any and all such parking and access areas.
iii.
Size requirements - address displays located no farther than 100 feet from the
curb line of the street shall have numbers of not less than eight inches in height.
Address signs set back greater than 100 feet shall have numbers of not less than
12 inches in height.
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1.3 Duty To Procure & Display Numbers:
For new Residential, Commercial or Industrial developments with less than three units,
it shall be the duty of the developer to procure and display the address numbers and
signs required by this policy at the time of construction.
2.
Address Display Requirements in Residential, Commercial, Industrial & Institutional
Complexes: (See Figure 2 & Figure 4)
2.1 Preferred Address System Display
i.
Single General Display - All individual building addresses or the range of those
building addresses (e.g. 5300- 5360) within a given development, shall be
conspicuously placed, in a colour contrasting with the background, on a free-
standing sign or attached to an appropriately located building.
ii.
Individual Display
a) All building numbers must be clearly visible to traffic traveling in either
direction from the primary street to which each building is addressed.
b) The building address shall be conspicuously placed, in a contrasting colour
with the background, on a free-standing sign or attached to the building.
2.2 Alternate Address System Display - The General Address for a development shall be
conspicuously placed, in a colour contrasting with the background, on a free-standing
sign or attached to an appropriately located building. The Range of Unit Addresses
within each building shall be conspicuously placed, in a contrasting colour with the
background, on a free-standing sign or attached to the building. The Unit Address
Ranges must be clearly visible from the street, which serves as access to the building.
2.3 Directional Signs
i.
The placement of directional signs will be required if the orientation of buildings
within a development obscures any buildings from the primary street, to which the
development is addressed.
ii.
A directional sign shall be required at each access point to the primary street to
which a development is addressed and from parking and access areas, for any
obscured buildings.
iii.
Each directional sign shall carry the appropriate address(es) or Range of Addresses
and a directional arrow or other location instructions as minimal direction
information.
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February 19, 2007
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2.4 Additional Signs
Buildings having parking and access areas provided at their side or rear may be
required to have additional numbers displayed on the building which must be visible
from any and all such parking and access areas.
2.5 Number Size Requirements
i.
General address & building address signs located no farther than 100' from the
curb line of the street shall have numbers of not less than eight inches in height.
Address signs set back greater than 100' shall have numbers of not less than 12
inches in height.
ii.
"Directional Signs" shall have numbers of not less than 6 inches in height.
iii.
"Additional Signs" shall have numbers of not less than 6 inches in height.
iv.
Unit numbers shall be permanently displayed near the appropriate entrance, having
numbers a minimum of 3 inches in height.
2.6 Duty To Procure & Display Numbers
For Residential, commercial, Industrial or Institutional Complex developments, it shall
be the duty of the developer to procure and display the address numbers and signs
required by this policy.
2.7 All address numbers and signs must be illuminated at night either individually or by
street lights, security lights, etc., Individual lights shall be full cut-off type lights.
F. NOTIFICATION
1.
The City shall notify all internal departments, agencies/bodies and adjacent municipalities
contained in the attached distribution list (Attachment No. 1), of the assignment of a new
municipal address numbers or change of an existing municipal address numbers.
G. RECORDS, FORMS AND ATTACHMENTS
1.
Records pertaining to the assignment of municipal address numbers and changes to existing
addresses will be retained according to the Records Retention By-law 12599, as amended.
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