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AN ORDINANCE relating to road names; providing for the honorary designation of county roads; and amending Ordinance 8766, Section 10, as amended, and K.C.C. 16.08.060.

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STATEMENT OF FACTS:

1.  The Department of Veterans Affairs maintains the Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, Washington, to serve the nation's veterans and their families.

2.  Entrance to the Tahoma National Cemetery is via Southeast 240th Street.

3.  In 2002, the North Pacific Chapter of the Destroyer Escort Sailors Association, a group of naval veterans who served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam, contacted Tahoma National Cemetery director Mary Ann Gillispie and King County executive Ron Sims to request commemorative street signs near the Tahoma National Cemetery to honor veterans at their final resting place.

4.  At the direction of Ron Sims, the King County road services division manufactured commemorative street signs designating Southeast 240th Street as King County's "Street of Heroes," which were mounted on signposts in front of the cemetery at nearby key intersections and unveiled November 8, 2002.

5.  Since their installation, the commemorative street signs have been included as assets to be maintained by the road services division.

6.  On August 19, 2013, the King County council passed Ordinance 17640 establishing a process by which a member of the public could request an honorary street designation and included council approval by ordinance.

7.  Ordinance 17640 does not recognize honorary street designations in existence before August 19, 2013.

                     BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:

                     SECTION 1.  Findings:  The council finds honorary street designations made by the county before August 19, 2013, are to be formally recognized.

                     SECTION 2.  Ordinance 8766, Section 10, as amended, and K.C.C. 16.08.060 are each hereby amended to read as follows:

                     A.1.  Notwithstanding K.C.C. 16.08.010 and 16.08.020, the council reserves the option of changing street names or changing numbered streets to named streets.

                       2.  An application to the council for street renaming shall contain the signatures of the majority of persons having ownership in properties addressed on the street to be renamed.

                       3.  The council shall mail notice of a proposed name change to all property owners whose addresses would be changed at least twenty days before council action.  A change of street name shall be accomplished by the adoption of an ordinance.

                     B.  The council shall consider technical input from the department, locational and development characteristics relative to the street, and the impact of the change on existing businesses and residences, as well as on emergency vehicle responsiveness, in determining whether the change should be made.  Only entire street lengths or distinct major portions of streets shall be separately renamed by the county.  For purposes of this chapter, "distinct major portions" shall mean a separate portion of a street identifiable by either a directional shift of a least forty-five degrees or an interrupted interval of at least one quarter mile.

                     C.1.  An honorary street designation is a secondary name for a street or a portion of a street that does not replace the legal name of the street.  The honorary street designation shall be denoted by signage that augments but does not replace signage for the legal street name required for emergency service access.  If a street or a portion of a street, except intersecting streets, has been designated with an honorary street name, no other honorary name shall be given to the street or section of a street.  The signs shall meet the standard street sign criteria for size and shape with a brown background and white lettering, and shall be placed underneath signs designating the legal street name.

                       2.  The council may make an honorary designation of a street or portion of a street by the adoption of an ordinance.  Honorary street name designation shall be limited to individuals, organizations, entities and events of local significance to the county as determined by the county council.  The actual costs of manufacturing, designing and installation of signage or any replacement signs due to damage, theft or vandalism shall be paid to the road services division by the applicant requesting the honorary designation before the signage is manufactured and installed.

                       3.  An application to the council for honorary street renaming shall contain a list of all persons having ownership in properties addressed on the street to be given the honorary designation and the signatures of the majority of those persons indicating acquiescence in the honorary street designation.  The application shall include a statement recognizing that costs defined in subsection C.2. of this section shall be borne by the applicant and noting that the legal name of the street will not change.

                       4.  The council shall mail notice of a proposed honorary name designation to all property owners on the affected street at least twenty days before council action.

                       5.  Honorary street designations made by the executive before August 19, 2013, and street signs installed to effectuate such honorary street designations are hereby approved.  The road services division shall maintain, repair or replace the signs as necessary or due to damage,

theft or vandalism.  Signage for honorary street designations referenced in this section may be modified at the discretion of the director.