Oak Ridge staff present new addressing and street-naming policy; council raises grid and numbering concerns

Planning staff presented a proposed addressing and street-naming policy to the council, describing it as a 14-page document drawn from statewide standards, neighboring jurisdictions and national 9-1-1 addressing practices.

"A policy creates consistency in decision making over time and across different staff members," the planner said, noting that the document was prepared by the Planning and Development Department with input from Information Services, Police, Fire and the Utility Business Office.

Council members asked whether the policy would retroactively change current addresses. Planning staff replied that the expectation is most street names and numbers would remain unchanged, and that any retroactive changes would be limited to problem areas where addresses create safety or emergency-response issues.

Several councilors raised practical concerns. One council member said defining east and west by the State Plane Coordinate System — rather than Oak Ridge’s long-used local administrative grid — could add confusion because local residents and maps often refer to directions differently. The planner acknowledged the concern and said the policy aims to follow established standards while allowing staff to address anomalous or unsafe numbering and naming situations.

Members also discussed duplicate or confusing entries in mapping services such as Google Maps and how the city coordinates updates with the U.S. Postal Service; staff said city edits and USPS updates can be submitted to online map providers to correct errors.

Staff said they would incorporate council feedback, redline the policy where necessary, and bring a revised version back on a future agenda for formal consideration.