Larimer County Approves New Road Naming Rules to Improve Emergency Response
Larimer County commissioners unanimously approved updated road naming and addressing regulations September 30 designed to prevent emergency response delays that have sent first responders to wrong locations during critical incidents.
The fourth amended road naming and addressing system resolution replaces 2006 regulations with streamlined procedures that prioritize public safety coordination with the Larimer Emergency Telephone Authority, which handles 911 dispatch for Larimer County, Jackson County, and Windsor.
Greg Turnbull from the county's Information Technology Department told commissioners the previous resolution was "very complex and confusing to work through" and lacked clear procedures for addressing disputes between property owners and county officials.
"We hate to see" emergency response delays caused by addressing confusion, Turnbull said, referencing incidents where fire trucks and water trucks responding to the same emergency took different routes due to unclear road names.
The new resolution establishes that roads must be named when two properties are addressed on them, aligning with standards used by LETA rather than the previous requirement of three properties. This change reflects coordination between county addressing staff and emergency dispatch operations to ensure consistent communication during emergencies.
According to the Larimer Emergency Telephone Authority, accurate addressing prevents delays that could increase property damage, injury, or loss of life during emergency responses. The authority coordinates 911 services across its jurisdiction and relies on the county's street inventory system for dispatch information.
County Addressing Coordinator Christine Day said the updated procedures will make the process "much more understandable to property owners" while reducing the number of deviation requests and appeals compared to previous years.
The resolution includes formal procedures for property owners who disagree with assigned road names or addresses. Requests to deviate from county standards now require official forms and review by public safety agencies before county staff make final decisions.
When property owners appeal addressing decisions, cases follow established procedures that include communication with affected neighbors and consideration of emergency service impacts. Appeals that cannot be resolved through county staff review are forwarded to county commissioners for final determination.
The addressing system uses a standardized grid with odd and even numbering on opposite sides of streets. Street names must be unique countywide, with different suffixes like "Street" versus "Drive" not making names sufficiently distinct for emergency purposes.
Prohibited road names include curse words, derogatory terms, names that sound similar to existing roads, and names with special characters or punctuation that could confuse dispatch communications. Only approved suffixes including Avenue, Boulevard, Circle, Court, Drive, Lane, Parkway, Place, Road, Street, and Way are permitted.
County Manager Lorinda Volker praised the addressing team's work developing the resolution, noting that staff "took a very empathetic approach to folks who are having their road names changed" while balancing public safety requirements.
The county's addressing standards support emergency response coordination across Northern Colorado, where agencies handle various incidents requiring accurate location information for effective response.
Assistant County Attorney William Rasu assisted with legal review of the resolution, which county officials said provides clearer guidance for both staff and residents navigating the addressing system.
Commissioner Jodi Shattuck McNally thanked addressing staff for their "perseverance" during what she described as four years of work developing the updated procedures. She emphasized the importance of ensuring optimal response times for residents needing emergency assistance.
The resolution takes effect immediately and applies to all new road naming and addressing decisions in unincorporated Larimer County. Existing addresses remain unchanged unless specifically reviewed through the deviation or appeals processes outlined in the new regulations.