Centre County Government

Centre County 9-1-1 Addressing

BACKGROUND:

Centre County 9-1-1 Emergency Communications implemented a County-wide Addressing Project in 1999 to provide Enhanced 9-1-1 to the residents and businesses of Centre County. The project assigned street names and numbers to every residence and business in Centre County that did not already have a valid address. The project eliminated all Postal RD, RR and HCR route and box numbers. The project also collected telephone data that was integrated into the 9-1-1 database. This information allows the Emergency Communications Center (9-1-1 dispatchers) to locate anyone dialing 9-1-1 in an emergency and quickly directs the appropriate public safety agencies to the location in question. This information is CONFIDENTIAL and used only by 9-1-1 in emergencies. Centre County 9-1-1 uses the National Emergency Numbering Association (NENA) along with the United States Postal Service (USPS) standards to perform addressing.

ADDRESSING AUTHORITY:

Municipalities are completely responsible for addressing with the authority coming from Pennsylvania's Municipal Codes. The legal authority to name streets and address buildings is granted to the Townships via the Second Class Township Code and to the Boroughs through the Borough Code.

OBTAINING A NEW ADDRESS:

Residents should first refer to the Addressing Responsibility List within this website to determine who handles the addressing in your municipality. If the municipality does their own addressing, residents would need to contact their office directly. For municipalities which Centre County 9-1-1 is responsible for, residents will need to submit the following information in writing either by fax (814-355-6776) or email to njspackman@co.centre.pa.us. Please note, we will not assign an address to an empty lot. An address may be assigned if there is intent to build within six (6) months and is subject to change if any discrepancy is found between the information provided and completion of fieldwork.

• Tax Parcel or Property Identification/Code Number
• Property Owner's Name
• Building Permit Information
• Type of Structure (Single Family Home; Duplex; Apartment Building; Etc.)
• Sketch Plan of the site showing property lines, location of structure, driveway and any other pertinent information. Basic maps for creating sketch plans can be created on CentreGIS Public Map.

Addresses are assigned based on structure location. In general, if the structure faces the road, the assignment will be made based on the road it faces. If the structure is not visible from the road, the assignment will be made based on where the driveway connects to the road. Centre County also utilizes the Frontage Interval Addressing System which is based on the measurement of intervals between the beginning of a road and the structures along it. Addresses are not assigned where the mailbox is located.

FIELD DATA COLLECTION:

Centre County 9-1-1 Addressing will perform data collection for all new construction and demolitions, including camps and vacation homes. The field collector works primarily from 8-5, M-F, and will have Centre County identification and magnetic 9-1-1 Addressing Signs on their vehicle. The field collector uses a GPS (Global Positioning System) to digitize driveways and structures to incorporate into the mapping system for use in Computer Aided Dispatching.

STREET NAMING CRITERIA:

Centre County 9-1-1 maintains a database for the municipalities of existing and proposed streets in Centre County to prevent duplication of street names. Any street with two (2) or more addressable structures, or where the location of the structure is not clearly seen from the roadway, requires naming. All public streets will be named by the municipality and any private street will be named by the majority approval of the property owners with final approval by the municipality. Proposed road names should be submitted to us in writing and the list should contain three to five (3-5) names ranked by preference. Before any name is approved, a thorough review of our street list and proposed road names will be completed. When choosing road names, the following information should be taken into consideration:

• Names having the same or similar pronunciation within a municipality, zip code or emergency service zone will be denied. Examples: Smith, Smyth or Smythe; Allen or Alan
• Names which may be offensive or contain double meanings will be rejected
• Avoid family names or individuals names of any living persons and politicians. Historical and pioneering names may be if they meet the recommendations in this book.
• Use of frivolous or complicated words with unconventional spellings will be denied
• Do not use special characters in road names such as hyphens, apostrophes or dashes
• Avoid the use of standard suffixes, directional suffixes, or prefixes in the road name (North Blvd, Avenue of Pines, West Street)
• A street name should be easy to read and pronounce so that children can use the name in an emergency situation and should add to the community pride by promoting local heritage, history and traditions, as well as reflect local geography and character (historically used road names should be retained where possible)
• Names with the same theme (i.e., flowers, states) are suggested for naming streets in an entire subdivision as a means of general identification

Engineers/Surveyors submitting a subdivision or land development plan with new streets, a paper copy or digital image of the plan (PDF, JPEG, ETC) is required and should be attached to the road name request. Road names can be reserved for a period of three (3) years from submission.

Municipalities have the official approval for all road names in any subdivision or land development plan within their municipality. We will not approve duplicate or conflicting names or similar names in the same municipality, region or postal code in order to reduce confusion of location issues for emergency service personnel, as well as, reducing mail delivery problems.

We encourage the use of correct street types or suffixes to match the road. For example, an Alley (ALY) is a narrow lane between or behind a row of buildings; a Boulevard (BLVD) is a street with a median reflecting the boulevard character; and, a Lane (LN) is a minor dead-end street or private lane. It would be inappropriate to have Boulevard (BLVD) on a minor dead-end street or private lane. Valid street types or suffixes (such as Lane, Avenue, Boulevard) along with their approved abbreviation can be found in the US Postal Services Publication 28, Appendix C [PDF] or on this Web page.

STREET NAME SEARCH

: Utilize the County's street name database to assist residents and engineers to search in advance for duplicate or sound alike names before names are submitted for review.

STREET SIGNS:

Centre County 9-1-1- encourages the installation of street signs to identify all named roads. Street signs for public streets/roads are the responsibility of the municipality. Please check with your municipality to determine their policy on street signs for private roads. We encourage residents to purchase and install signs on their private road when the municipality does not. All signs installed in PennDOT Right-of-Ways must meet the PennDOT sign standards, including the street name in reflective white letters on a contrasting background.

HOUSE NUMBERS:

House numbers are assigned by a standardized system using an addressing interval of 20.8 or 52.8 feet depending on the existing addressing in each municipality. The interval distance is measured from the starting point of each roadway. An address would be assigned approximately every 20.8 and 52.8 feet to allow room for growth and future addressing. Each block contains 50 odd numbers and 50 even numbers.

MULTI-TENANTS:

Any resident who rents an apartment or a business renting office space, should have a secondary location indicator (apartment or suite number) assigned to their address. This is very important. If a resident has no apartment or suite number, you must contact your landlord immediately to get a secondary number assigned. The secondary number will help Emergency Services locate the apartment or suite within the building during an emergency.

POSTING HOUSE NUMBERS:

Residents should post the house number on their home per your local municipality's specific requirements. Landlords should post the proper house number on the building and a secondary apartment or suite number. Tenants should encourage their landlord to follow the suggested policy.

The house number shall be made up of numbers and/or letters which are contrasting in color with the background on which they are affixed, as near to the front entrance as possible and practical so that the number is legible from the sidewalk (if any), the road, and the opposite side of the street--day or night. Examples are listed below. Again, please check with your municipality for their specific requirements.

Examples:

• Residences, Townhouse and "In-Town" Businesses: Numbers shall be at least four (4) inches in height.
• Apartment Building and High-Rises: Numbers shall be at least six (6) inches in height. Apartment numbers for individual units within the complex shall be displayed on or above or to the side of the doorway to each unit.
• Industrial and Commercial Structures: Numbers shall be at least ten (10) inches in height.
• Private Lanes and Long Driveways: A resident whose house number is not clearly visible from the street should install a post near the end of the driveway with numbers at least four (4) inches in height, and at least forty-eight (48) inches above the ground.

NEW HOMES and MAIL DELIVERY:

It is strongly recommended residents contact their post office with their new address six to eight (6-8) weeks PRIOR to moving into your new home. Residents should notify the proper businesses. Some examples are utility companies such as telephone, electric, cable; financial institutions; credit cards; insurance companies; relatives; PennDOT; and, any other necessary agencies. Work with your post office for mailbox placement and mail delivery.

POSTAL ADDRESS CHANGES:

All residents who receive a street address must make the appropriate changes of address for mailing purposes. Residents should notify the proper businesses. Some examples are utility companies such as telephone, electric, cable; financial institutions; credit cards; insurance companies; relatives; PennDOT; and, any other necessary agencies.

USING COMBINATION POST OFFICE/STREET ADDRESSES:

If you receive your mail at a Post Office Box and you wish to use your Street Address with your PO Box, the PO Box must go directly above the Town, State, and Zip Code to meet Postal regulations. Example:

USING THE POSTAL SERVICE ZIP + FOUR WEBSITE:

This is the US Postal Service's Website where you can view the proper format for mailing addresses, including obtaining the last four numbers of your zip code.

REMEMBER YOUR ADDRESS:

Posting your street address and any applicable apartment identifier, lot or suite number near your phone can be a helpful reminder during an emergency. This is especially helpful if your address has been changed or for residents with elderly, out of town guests, or children. PLEASE MAKE COPIES OF THE ADDRESS NOTIFICATION MAILER FOR YOUR RECORDS. This can be used for verification for any address changes on special documents, which is sometimes required.

PSU CENTRE MAP:

Centre County GIS, in collaboration with the Pennsylvania State University, created a mapping system for use by all Centre County residents, businesses and municipalities.

PROBLEMS AND/OR QUESTIONS:

If you have any questions or problems please call the following number: 814-355-6800.