Guidelines for Selecting Street Names

• Comply with any existing municipality rules.

• Avoid family surnames, individual's names, living or deceased person's names.

• If the street is an extension of an existing street, do not change name at the intersection, curve, or at any other point.

• The use of an existing street name with a different suffix will not be allowed (e.g. Smith RD, Smith LN, Smith AVE, Smith CT, etc.)

• The use of special characters in street names is not allowed such as hyphens, apostrophes, or dashes.

• All street names must have a suffix at the end (e.g. Apple RD, ST, DR, LN, Cir, TR, PL, CT, etc.)  U.S. postal standards should be used as guidance.  The only exception to this is the use of a directional.  See (2) below.

• The further use of numbered street names will not be allowed, (e.g. 1st, 2nd, 3rd or First, Second or Third, etc.)

• The use of slang or other inappropriate names will not be allowed.

• Avoid street names that difficult to spell or street names with several words.

• Avoid the use of standard suffixes or directional suffixes or prefixes as street names. (e.g., North Blvd, Court St, Avenue of Pines)

• Avoid the use of non-standard street name suffixes that may be confused with subdivisions or commercial developments (e.g. Kneenah Plaza, Copstown Plaza)

2.    USE OF A DIRECTIONAL WITHIN STREET NAMES:

        The further use of "North", "South", "East", or "West" in a street name will not be allowed.  The U.S. postal system and telephone companies must comply with standards that do not accommodate the use of directionals.  If a directional must be used, the following guidelines apply:

        a.)    A directional a the beginning of street name (e.g. North Point Dr) "North" is part of the street name and must be spelled out completely.

        b.)    A directional at the end of the street name (e.g. Brilowski Rd North) "North" is a directional, which comes at the end of the street name and must be spelled out completely.

        c.)    The Portage County north/south zero line is East Maria Drive and the east/west zero line is the Wisconsin River.  A directional of "North" can be added in the event that a street runs both north and south of the zero line (e.g. Brilowski Rd North) All address north of the the zero line are Brilowski RD North and all address south of the zero line are Brilowski RD.  The use of South at the end of the street name is prohibited south of the zero line.

        d.)    A directional of "West" will be considered if the street is physically located west of the Wisconsin River.  A directional of "East" will be considered on a case by case basis.

3.    ASSIGNMENT AND APPROVAL OF STREET NAMES:

The assignment of all street names will be coordinated through the Portage County Emergency Management/E9-1-1 Office.

The municipality shall submit the proposed street name, or street name change for review, approval or denial, prior to any other government body approval.

The Portage County Emergency Management/E9-1-1 Office, upon approval of any new street name or street name change, shall notify the affected telephone company(s), post office, fire department, first responder group, County Planning & Zoning Office, County Register of Deeds, appropriate public safety answering point, ambulance service and rescue agency or others as necessary.

The spelling of a street name must be consistent with all other existing street signs, the approved street name, the plat and/or recorded document etc. (e.g. Maple Ridge RD, Mapleridge RD).  The municipality will be required to replace any sign that is not consistent with the above.

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