Streets changing names as Maricopa creates policy

Do you live on Caven Drive? Which one?

Do you know the difference between Honeycutt Avenue and Honeycutt Road?

Roads with similar names in Maricopa can be confusing and eventually could become a problem.

North Caven Drive in Rancho El Dorado and West Caven Drive in the Villages at Rancho El Dorado.

North Robins Drive in Rancho El Dorado and West Robbins Drive in Homestead.

West Orvieto Way and West Oliveto Avenue in Sorrento.

North Laural Road and North Lauren Road in Homestead.

West Ramona Street in two separate segments in Santa Rosa Springs.

It is easy to get lost.

The Development Services Department received the green light in April to find a solution. Three months later, that has led to a public hearing on name changes. Soon it will lead to a new policy.

Planner Ryan Wozniak called it a preemptive strategy.

“Over the years, fire and police departments noticed the flaws in the streets and informed staff to correct the wrong names before becoming a problem,” he said. “These street-name changes have the full support of our fire and police departments.”

Staff is asking for permission to change the names of five streets that are flagged as troublemakers. The change will affect the addresses of 39 homes and another 43 lots where homes have yet to be built.

On the streets that will keep their names under the proposal, more than 350 lots are involved, most of which are constructed.

A public hearing is scheduled for July 7.

Changing addresses comes with its own amount of hassle. The Development Services Department has worked with the post office to permanently link the current address with the new address to be assigned.

“Driver’s licenses and voter registration remain the responsibility of individuals to update,” Wozniak said.

According to state statute, address information on voter registration and driver’s license forms needs to conform. Residents can register to vote at the same time they apply for a driver’s license or renewal.

There will also be necessary updates with the county assessor.

“The city will contact the county and provide the exhibits regarding the affected street segments and parcels to accurately update their records and online tools (such as the GIS portal),” he said, “including staff follow-up in 60 to 90 days.”

Those exhibits will be shown for the hearing. They include proposed names for the renamed streets following a new policy awaiting adoption.

If the City Council approves, North Robbins Drive will become North Falcon Lane. North Laural Road would become West Lauren Road. North Caven Drive in Rancho El Dorado would become North Braden Road. West Orvieto Way would become West Meta Way. West Ramona Street (the shorter segment) would become West Rojo Street.

“Street names were chosen by using best practices and standards for street-naming convention,” Wozniak said without giving specifics on those particular choices. “Best practices include maintaining street names that share an alignment.”

But don’t worry; Honeycutt is not part of the project.

The best practices will be moving forward to council independently as a Street Naming and Procedures Policy (SNAP) for formal adoption on a future meeting date.

Once approved, the resolution to change the street names would go into effect after 30 days.