Moore County commissioners remove three road names, adopt broader road-naming rules after debate over memorial names and sign theft

Moore County commissioners on Feb. 18 voted to remove three previously approved road names, add three others and adopt a set of general revisions to the county’s Road Name and Addressing Ordinance after a public-staff presentation and extended discussion about which kinds of names should be permitted.

The board first approved removing Sanctuary Trail, Norton Court and Pamarana Vista from the ordinance because the associated subdivision approvals had expired and the roads did not exist. The board then approved adding Landon Way, Sanctuary Trail (reused in another subdivision) and Peel Farm Lane (listed in the packet as “Pill Farm Lane,” corrected at the meeting) as privately maintained roads under the ordinance. Finally, the board voted to adopt a revised ordinance that adds criteria for road-name content and clarifies sign maintenance and legal access requirements.

The public-staff presentation was led by GIS Coordinator Rachel Smith, who explained the procedural basis for removing and adding road names and described the proposed text changes. Commissioners moved to open and close the related public hearings; no members of the public had signed up to speak for those items.

A significant portion of discussion occurred during the revision item, when Commissioner Ritter objected to proposed language that would bar any sign that “memorialized any type of military conflict.” Ritter said the rule might prevent future street names that commemorate wars or military service and argued for preserving flexibility given Moore County’s proximity to Fort Bragg and a local history of memorial names. Other commissioners asked staff to check the legal implications and whether the provision was intended only to reduce theft of particular signs.

Public safety staff, including Brian Phillips, explained the practical rationale behind the drafting: county staff had reviewed historically common road names that tend to be stolen soon after being installed (the example given was Earnhardt Lane), and the proposed restrictions aimed to reduce repeated sign replacement that can impede emergency response. Phillips and others described theft of signs as a recurring problem and said the revisions seek to make names less likely to be stolen while preserving options for locally significant names.

Commissioner Adams pressed for flexibility so future boards could approve names that honor veterans or historic conflicts. After staff and commissioners debated whether the draft language was advisory guidance for name submissions or a strict prohibition, the board adopted the revisions as presented and agreed the ordinance can be revisited and amended later if problems arise.

The votes on the three separate motions were taken by voice; the board approved all three items.

The board directed staff to publish the adopted ordinance language and confirmed that applicants must secure legal access before requesting road names or addresses. Rachel Smith and county planning staff will continue to apply the updated naming standards and work with public safety to minimize sign theft and emergency-response issues.