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Commissioners move to resolve duplicate Spruce Drive addresses to prevent 911 confusion
Summary
The board directed staff to draft a resolution to rename one of two non‑connecting Spruce Drive segments to resolve emergency‑response and postal addressing conflicts affecting 17 lots.
Custer County commissioners on Oct. 16 directed staff to prepare a recorded resolution to resolve a duplicate‑name problem affecting two non‑connecting segments both named Spruce Drive.
Why it matters: county staff said 911 dispatch personnel faced potential confusion when emergency responders were forced to determine which Spruce Drive a caller meant. Seventeen lots are impacted — 10 on the upper segment in the Silver Cliffites subdivision and seven on the lower segment in the Conquistador Estates subdivision. County staff recommended adding a directional suffix (Spruce Drive North / Spruce Drive South) or choosing a different suffix to avoid changing house numbers.
What was discussed: staff explained the issue arose because both subdivisions had used the same street name before modern addressing checks. The solution proposed — adding a north/south directional suffix — preserves existing house numbers and is simple to incorporate into the county’s addressing and 911 systems. Staff said the change would be recorded by resolution, mailed to impacted property owners, and sent to 911 and the post office for system updates.
Public‑safety emphasis: commissioners and staff emphasized the safety risk of delayed emergency response and cited prior experiences such as ambulances being routed to the wrong segment. Staff said renaming by adding a suffix is the least disruptive option and avoids reassigning numerical addresses.
Next steps: the board directed the clerk and 911 staff to draft the formal resolution, record it, and notify affected residents and agencies. The county will mail notices and work with the post office and 911 to update maps and address tables.
Evidence excerpt: staff presentation and discussion of proposed North/South naming and the number of affected lots (approx. 17) occurred between 00:39:25 and 00:44:10 in the meeting recording.
Local note: the action requires a recorded resolution; staff will send changes to 911 and title companies and will notify affected residents by mail.
