§ 6-7-7. Assignment of addresses; street names.

(a)

Street name approval. The city/county engineering department shall develop and maintain a uniform system for naming and numbering all unincorporated portions of the county. This system shall conform to the standards herein.

(1)

The joint planning commission of the county shall approve and authorize the name of a street or road laid out. It shall be unlawful to name a new street or road through a plat, deed, or other type instrument without prior approval by the planning commission. Any person(s) violating this provision shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be punished in the discretion of the court as stated in S.C. Code 1976, § 6-29-1200.

(2)

The planning commission may, after reasonable notice through a newspaper having general circulation, change the name of a street or road within the unincorporated portion of the county if:

a.

There is duplication of names or other conditions which tend to confuse the traveling public or the delivery of mail, orders, or messages;

b.

It is found that a change may simplify marking or giving of directions to persons seeking to locate addresses; or

c.

There is any other good and just reason that may appear to the planning commission.

(3)

After reasonable opportunity for a public hearing, the planning commission shall issue its certificate designating the change, which must be recorded with the county clerk of court. Upon recordation, the name shall be changed and certified as the legal name of the street or road.

(b)

Street names generally. All new and existing private or public streets shall be named in accordance with the guidelines referenced in subsection (a) of this section. For the purposes of this chapter, a street shall be considered to be a right-of-way, easement or drive providing principal access to two or more dwellings or principal buildings.

(c)

Duplication of street names.

(1)

New street names shall not be allowed if they duplicate existing street names in the same community area. A duplication is considered to be either an exact, similarly spelled or phonetically similar name.

(2)

Where existing name duplications exist within a community area, all but one street will be renamed so as to eliminate the name duplication. In no case shall the new name duplicate other street names. The procedure for changing a street name shall be established in the guidelines for addressing in the county.

(d)

Street name signs. A street name sign shall be ordered and erected by the department of public works as soon as formal notification of name adoption is received. Unauthorized removal of a street name sign shall be considered a violation of this chapter.

(e)

Designation of addresses.

(1)

An address shall be designated for all dwellings and principal buildings within the unincorporated portions of the county. All named streets shall be assigned addresses accordingly.

(2)

All addresses shall be derived in compliance with the system established by the guidelines for addressing in the county.

(Ord. No. 2-91, § II, 3-5-91; Ord. No. 17-99, § I, 4-20-99)