Addresses on east-west streets will start at Elm Street instead of Fir Street
as they have in the past. According to City Planner Neil Thompson, that means
that residents on those streets will, in most cases, have to change their
addresses. Thompson said that as many as 70 to 80 percent of the addresses in
the city will be changed.
Thompson said that emergency service providers and citizens all agreed that a
consistent numbering system is necessary and, he said, citizens urged the city
to "do it right." That, Thompson indicated, meant using Elm Street as the
starting point.
North-south running streets will be numbered from Cascade Street. Addresses on
the north side and east side of streets will be even numbered to conform to the
way Deschutes County numbers streets.
Thompson said that each city lot will be assigned an address, but buildings
that occupy more than one lot will only display one address number.
Residents will be responsible for supplying an address display on their houses
in three-inch high reflective numbers. Thompson said the program will be phased
in and the city will probably start enforcing the new system to coincide with
the enactment of the new 541 area code on July 1. That way, Thompson said,
residents and businesses can reprint their address labels, letterhead or
business cards just once.
Thompson said that the planning department does not yet have all the addresses
assigned for the city; he said he should have the new numbers available shortly
after January 1. The city will send notices to residents giving their new
addresses.
