9-1-1 Addressing Standards

Alachua County Addressing is based on a Quadrant System:

In Gainesville, and in the un-incorporated areas of Alachua County, as well as in the surrounding municipalities, addresses are based on the Quadrant System.  That is, starting from the intersection of University Avenue and Main Street in downtown Gainesville, roadway names are preceded by NW, NE, SW or SE, which indicates the Quadrant of the County that the roadway lies in. For the most part, street names are numeric and ascend as you move away from the quadrant center. An exception to this is found in Melrose where there are no street prefixes and named streets are used.

The downtown areas of High Springs and Micanopy are based on their own interior quadrant system. For example, High Springs has its own quadrant system that is centered on Main Street and Railroad Avenue and applies only in the downtown area. This means that you will find a SE 5^th Avenue in High Springs as well as Gainesville. It also means that the SE 5^th Avenue in High Springs is only four blocks away from NW 176^th Avenue.

Alachua County Enhanced 9-1-1 Offices assigns roadway names based on standards and established guidelines. These standards are based on National Emergency Number Association (NENA) definitions and existing county methods.

Roadway Naming Conventions

1. Roadways that are north-south in direction are numerically named by location on the east-west County grid and typed Street, Terrace, Way or Drive.
2. Roadways that are east-west in direction are numerically named by location of the north-south County grid and typed  Avenue, Road, Lane, or Place.
3. Roadways that are diagonal to a north-south axis are numerically named on the grid which they are most parallel to and typed Blvd if more than 1/4 mile in length and Court if less.
4. Most major Federal, State and County roadways retain their agency designation.
5. Most roadways are prefixed with a directional for either the quadrant of the county where they are located or for their direction away from the north-south or east-west axis.
6. Some roadways are named for historical, geographical or memorial reasons.  These tend to be the exception, not the rule.
7. Roadway names should be continuous and not change at intersections, curves or some other point (NENA pg. 51, line 2).  There are exceptions to this, but it should be followed whenever possible.
8. Street and Avenue road types generally run on the grid lines. Roadways that are between grid lines are typed terrace, drive, way, road, lane, or place.

Additional Roadway Naming Policies – Private Access and Preservation of Historic Street Names

Addressing Office Policy for Private Access Roads

It is recognized that, particularly in the rural, unincorporated areas, there exist many private driveways that are actually access roads. At times these private access roads lead to several homes, all addressed off the nearest main road. Further, these homes do not have adequately posted addresses. These problems can and do lead to emergency response delays.In an effort to address these issues, it is further recognized that many of these access roads should actually be named, have roadway signs installed, and all structures readdressed off the new roadway.

As there are many such access roads and private drives in the county, with many differing circumstances to be considered with each one, it is also recognized that a wholesale readdressing of all such roads is not practical or even possible.

Therefore, it is the policy of the E-911 Office to consider each such roadway separately, on a case by case basis. On both existing driveways/access roads, and on all such roadways that are developed and in need of a new address, the following aspects will be considered in deciding whether or not to add the road to the addressing grid and number the structure accordingly:

1. How long is the driveway, especially in relation to the size of the property? Longer roads in conjunction with large tracts indicate possible future subdivision and should be considered for numbering.
2. How many homes/structures are currently on the property or planned for the future? The more structures existing or planned the greater the likelihood of numbering the roadway. The threshold number for readdressing is five or more homes. Roadways with fewer homes will be considered on a case by case basis.
3. Who lives on the property? Family compounds or people needing extraordinary privacy should be given consideration as to their preference for roadway numbering.
4. Is there a history of emergency response delay to this/these address(es)? If so, strong consideration should be given to numbering.
5. On existing roadways, are the homes well marked and relatively easy to locate?

Final decisions on numbering such roadways are to be made by the E-911 Coordinator or his/her designee, after field work to the area is performed, and after consultation with addressing staff, responders and the residents, if appropriate.

Policy for Preserving Historic Street Names in Alachua County and Municipalities

WHEREAS, a geographically precise and accurate addressing system is paramount to quick and efficient emergency response; and,

WHEREAS, various municipalities have requested County assistance in establishing and maintaining an addressing system that conforms to the County-wide addressing grid to aid emergency response; and,

WHEREAS, new road signs are installed as a part of these readdressing projects to designate the new grid-compliant roadway; and,

WHEREAS, the County Commission wishes to make provisions for municipalities that choose to preserve historic street names;

NOW THEREFORE, the County will establish procedure for such historic preservation.

Procedure

1. Municipalities who are interested in readdressing to the County-wide Grid shall negotiate an interlocal agreement with the County to secure these services, via the Alachua County Fire Rescue E-911 Coordinator.
2. The interlocal agreement shall include the manufacture and installation by the County of all required street signs. These signs will be the County standard reflective white-on-green 6" blades with 4" characters.
3. Municipalities wishing to preserve historic street names shall do so via special street signs. The historic name will be placed under the official grid compliant roadway name in smaller letters. These
4. two names will appear on a single, larger sign blade at the street intersection. 
5. The official address will remain the grid-compliant numbered roadway. Historic signed names will not appear in the Master Street Address Guide for the County, and no one will be addressed off such named streets.
6. Any municipality that wishes to install historic street signs shall pay the difference in cost over the cost of the County standard signs for the larger blades and extra materials needed.
7. Municipalities considering historic street name signs should consider the following criteria. Historic names should be 1. Unique in Alachua County (not duplicated in another municipality) and 2. Historically accurate (referenced in documentation)

     8.These historic street signs shall be restricted to the traditionally historic core of the municipality, as provided on maps and/or other official documents. This district shall not extend to rural or annexed areas.

     9. Memorial street designations shall be differentiated from historic designations as memorial designations are named after a prominent person. Memorial designations are to be on separate landmark-type signs, not on the intersection blade, and remain the responsibility of the municipality.

After initial installation, maintenance of signs, including all costs associated with replacement, remain the responsibility of the municipality.

Alachua County Enhanced 9-1-1 Offices assigns addresses based on standards and established guidelines. These standards are based on National Emergency Number Association (NENA) definitions and existing county methods.

Address Numbering

1. Address numbers are issued based on the direction that the property main entrance faces, if that entrance fronts on a named roadway.  If the main entrance does not face a named roadway, then the address number is based on the location of the main entrance drive on a named roadway.
2. Addresses ending with even numbers will be on the north side of east-west roadways and the west side of north-south roadways.
3. Addresses ending with odd numbers will be on the south side of east-west roadways and the east side of north-south roadways.

Additional Addressing Policies – Apartments, Shopping Centers, Office Complexes, and Strip Malls

Addressing Office Policy for APARTMENT ADDRESSING

The following schemes are the preferred method for addressing apartments.

Type 1. Apartment complex with one building having only ground floor apartments.

The building is issued a house number, and apartments are numbered starting with 101; then in sequence increasing by 1 in the same direction as the house numbers along the roadway increase. (eg. 101-199 then 1001-1999) Limit of 1098 units.

Type 2. Apartment complex with one building having multiple floor apartments.

The building is issued a house number. Apartments on 1^st floor are numbered starting with 101; then in sequence increasing by 1 in the same direction as the house numbers along the roadway increase. (eg. 101-199 then 1001-1999). Apartments on 2nd floor numbered starting with 201, then in sequence increasing by 1 in the same direction as the house numbers along the roadway increase. (eg. 201-299 then 2001-2999) Apartment numbers on consecutive floors would always begin with floor number. Limits 1098 units per floor.

Type 3. Apartment complex with multiple buildings having only ground floor apartments.

Each building issued a house number. Apartments numbered starting with 101 then in sequence increasing by 1 in the same direction as the house numbers along the roadway increase. The sequence continues from building to building so no apartment number is duplicated. (eg. 101-199 then 1001-1999). Limits 1098 units.

Type 4. Apartment complex with multiple buildings having multiple floor apartments.

Each building is issued a house number. Apartments numbered starting with 101; then in sequence increasing by 1 in the same direction as the house numbers along the roadway increase. The sequence continues from building to building so no apartment number is duplicated. (eg. 101-199 then 1001-1999). Apartments on 2nd floor numbered starting with 201 then in sequence increasing by 1 in the same direction as the house numbers along the roadway increase. (eg. 201-299 then 2001-2999) Apartment numbers on consecutive floors would always begin with floor number (e.g., 3^rd floor apartments start with 3).Limits 1098 units per floor.

Addressing Office Policy forAddressing Shopping Centers, Office Complexes, Strip malls

It is recognized that, as these certain structures - such as strip malls - are developed, they are done so with an eye toward future uses and re-dividing, adding or removing walls and entire suites. For this reason, some such structures shall have one central numeric address and an appended suite designation. This appended suite designation should be numeric and should run in order according to the direction of and orientation to the roadway.

Larger or more complex centers can have more than one address. Special consideration shall be given to the ACFR Fire Marshal’s suggestions, in view of the ease of finding stores or suites where a fire alarm has been activated. 

For a complex that has multiple buildings, each building should have separate addresses. Each unit should then be assigned a separate numeric unit identifier.

Unit numbers and appendages are to be assigned by the E-911 Office, not by the builder or developer.

The following rules for addressing are found in the National Emergency Number Association=s Addressing Systems guide and shall be followed for County addressing tasks (written by William M. Lucy, published in 1995 by NENA, Chapter 2, pages 31-17):

Rule #7: Circular Streets (page 34)

Rule #8:  Cul-de-Sacs (page 35)

Rule #12:  Business (page 39)

Rule #13:  Interfacing with Existing Systems (Page 40)

Rule #15:  Highways (page 42)

Rule #16:  Structures (page 42)

Additionally the following standards documents shall be adhered to, to the extent possible.

1. US Postal Service Address Guide, Issue 1997, for mailing address formats
2. National Emergency Number Association Data Exchange Formats standards document 02-011
3. Other data format standards and protocols are governed by the 911 service provider, BellSouth. Following the data standards deemed by BellSouth is necessary to ensure integrated 911 data management and network systems.