Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Street Renaming topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Belgrade council adopts resolution of intent to rename portion of Jackrabbit Lane to North Jackrabbit Lane
Summary
The Belgrade City Council unanimously adopted a resolution of intent to rename the north section of Jackrabbit Lane to North Jackrabbit Lane, citing public-safety concerns from duplicate addresses and improved navigation; the measure will proceed to a formal public-notice process and affects about 24 property owners.
The Belgrade City Council on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution of intent to rename the north section of Jackrabbit Lane to North Jackrabbit Lane, a change city staff said is intended to reduce confusion for emergency responders and improve parcel and mail delivery.
City staff told the council the change would cover the stretch from Main Street/Frontage Road up to Rizzo and would affect roughly 24 property owners and 14 addresses. Staff said the city calculated a one-time signage cost of about $15,000 to replace signs and some posts that would not accept modern sign mounting.
City staff said the primary justification for the name change was safety: duplicates in addresses in the Four Corners area have led to instances where emergency services or deliveries could be routed to the wrong end of Jackrabbit. “We have some duplicate addresses in the 4 Corners area, and so there's a potential that if emergency service were dispatched, that they could actually go to the wrong address,” staff said during the discussion.
A public-safety representative who spoke to the council described how voice-over-Internet phone calls and new dispatchers unfamiliar with the area can add delays or cause units to be sent to the wrong end of a road. “A new dispatcher has to be aware of going extra steps to confirm that address,” the public-safety representative said, adding that that extra confirmation can delay response.
Under Montana law cited by staff, a petition by affected property owners could block the renaming if 51% of owners along the route submit opposition; staff estimated that would require approximately 13 property owners to successfully petition. Staff said the council was approving only a resolution of intent this month; the city will publish formal notice and send direct notices to affected owners ahead of a final action planned on the March agenda.
Council members asked whether individual property owners must contact the U.S. Postal Service to update addresses. Staff said the city will notify the post office but that owners should also update their addresses with USPS themselves.
The council approved the resolution of intent by voice vote; the mayor announced the motion carried unanimously. The item will return after the formal notice period and any petitions under state statute are resolved.
