Orange County NC Website
We are 3 households living off Harmony Church Road on an unnamed driveway that was <br /> established at a time when there were no requirements for naming private roads. <br /> Two of the households are occupied by former firefighters, one a former Chief and one a <br /> former Captain, each with over 20 years of service and experience with the Cedar Grove Fire <br /> Dept. We are well aware of the problems associated with locating a residence in an <br /> emergency both day and night. We know it is much easier to locate an address on a main road <br /> rather than to find a small drive with an additional name. <br /> In our case, our 3 addresses are clearly labeled at the main road with official reflective number <br /> signs acquired from the Hillsborough Fire Dept. In addition, the same official house number <br /> signs are installed along the 3/4 mile driveway at appropriate locations to further direct <br /> emergency personnel. <br /> As former emergency responders we also know that the sequential numbering of addresses <br /> with properly sized, consistent, and reflective numbers along the roads is an important and <br /> effective way to find a house. Enforcing standard number signage on existing roads will better <br /> support your efforts to locate structures than adding many newly named small lanes with <br /> inconsistently located and sized signs for the many driveways throughout the county. <br /> There are many different situations in the county and we do not believe that only one solution <br /> works in every case. <br /> Therefore, instead of demanding compliance to a set of seemingly arbitrary rules we are <br /> appealing to your common sense in finding the best solution to the problems of locating a <br /> house along our many county roads. Why is the number of households set at 3 per drive? <br /> Why not 4? Why not 2? <br /> Also, we are concerned that the tone of your notice, which mentions fines and compliance, <br /> even before explaining the ordinance does not actually encourage people to work towards the <br /> stated goal of making structures more easily located. <br /> As you know, changing an address is no small matter and requires a significant amount of <br /> time, money, effort, and inconvenience. In the absence of moving to a new residence, this is <br /> not something that should be required without the clear and definite benefit of achieving the <br /> goal of such a requirement. <br /> Therefore we ask you to consider our concerns, especially when the stated basis for the <br /> address change, i.e. better emergency response, will not be achieved in cases such as ours. <br /> Attached are photographs of the number signage for our households. <br /> We look forward to a sensible solution to this issue, Thank You, <br /> Sincerely Yours <br /> Michael Muller and Judy Frank <br /> 8750 Harmony Church Road <br /> Joe and Ann Chockley <br /> 8740 Harmony Church Road>Steve and Joan Levitt <br /> 8770 Harmony Church Road <br />