Hundreds of county addresses changing

Apr. 5—Hundreds of addresses in Sampson County will be changing following the approval Monday of a sweeping road-renaming proposal that will impact nine different roadways and more than 220 addresses in the central and western part of the county, specifically along the path of the N.C. 24 construction project.

Rick Sauer, Sampson Emergency Management director, told the Sampson County Board of Commissioners on Monday that "a few inquiries and a couple concerns" had been received since the proposal was announced. Several residents spoke during a public hearing at Monday's regular monthly board meeting about the proposal.

"If this recommendation is approved by the board it will take some time for the post office and delivery companies, like FedEx, UPS and Amazon, to make changes in their systems," said Sauer. "We will send all the information to the post office this week and their databases will be updated within the month. Most of the major delivery companies get their information from the post office but we have no control over how long it will take for that to be uploaded into that system."

That proposal to rename roads and re-number addresses along the N.C. 24 corridor in Sampson is a move local officials said was necessary to ensure efficient emergency response after construction in recent years fragmented roads and reconfigured communities.

The rebuilding of N.C. 24 by the North Carolina Department of Transportation extended from Cumberland County to Clinton, bypassing Autryville and Roseboro in the process.

"As a result, some roads have been split in two, some roads remain unnamed, and some addresses do not conform to the county's ordinance and the National Emergency Numbering Association (NENA) guidelines," the county said in a statement explaining the proposal.

For six months leading up to the proposal, the county's Road Naming Committee and Jessie Matthews, the county's 911 Addressing Coordinator, worked to identify each road and address that was impacted. Matthews said targeted addresses were those where there was road name duplication, no road name assigned or an address that didn't conform to assignment standards.

"However, some roads will have to be re-named, and some houses and buildings will need to be re-numbered," Matthews has stated. "We understand that this may be inconvenient, but the main priority is for emergency responders to locate and reach residents in a timely and efficient manner in the event of an emergency.

"Due to the construction, some sections of the road have been rerouted," Matthews said previously. "Previous sections of the highway have been segmented from the new route, and other sections have been newly created. Because of these changes, the impacted sections no longer comply with the standards required by the 911 System."

Addresses impacted include those on Roseboro Highway, Autry Highway, Dunn Road and Stage Coach Lane.

A summary of changes, along with maps and all of the detailed address changes, is available for the public to review and is posted on the county's website (www.sampsonnc.com). A list of the impacted roads is included in the related box in today's edition.

Roseboro Highway residents Margaret Butler and Whitney Parker both asked about their section of Roseboro Highway which was proposed to be named Bend Road. Parker said he agreed with a suggestion from Butler that the stretch be called Snowhill Drive.

Sauer said the names were already determined by the Road Naming Committee. Matthews has said the committee attempted to recommend as few changes as possible to minimize the impact on the residents.

"The Road Naming Committee determined that if we had to change 10 roads and 200-plus addresses, it might become cumbersome," said Sauer of the naming process.

Mattie Howell of Stage Coach Lane, Autryville, also expressed concerns.

"We don't have an issue with the renaming, but many of us have bought metal reflective house numbers from our local fire departments," said Howell. "Would we be able to get those replaced at no additional charge?"

Sauer said the county was not involved in the signs, but referred to the local fire departments and rescue squads.

Howell also pointed to the cost of updating driver's licenses and the fees associated with that, noting that residents are given a 30-day period to updated licenses to a new address.

"Would people be able to get any assistance with that?" Howell said.

Board Chair Jerol Kivett said it was a good question, and said he wasn't aware of any such assistance, referring Howell to the N.C. Department of Transportation.

"I wouldn't think so," said Kivett on the prospect of assistance being provided. "It's a state issue. We're more or less mandated to do so.

"Unfortunately, progress creates some of these things, and of course, the new highway system has done that," said Kivett. "And to get 911 assistance, (this is) required. It's not something we want to do, but we have to do."

County officials said that some addresses will be changed despite being on sections listed as retaining their old addresses. These changes are a result of new driveways that connect the residence or business to a different road.

Sampson County Emergency Services encouraged those who are impacted to ensure their house or business numbers are updated and clearly visible from the roadway for all emergency responders. While the county was notifying respective post offices of changes, residents were also urged to notify all businesses and delivery services of their new address to allow for proper and timely delivery of mail and packages.

"Following approval, we will begin to push the changes into the 911 system," said Matthews. "Therefore, we ask that the public make the necessary changes as soon as practical. The county does have an Address Display Ordinance, which can be found on the county website. These changes will be sent to the Post Office, so that the public can receive their mail at their newly-assigned addresses."

For residents who are not impacted by any proposed change, county officials said this was a "good opportunity" to check on their house number to ensure it is visible, not blocked, and the numbers have not faded over time.

"We also hope people will understand the importance of posting their number so first responders can find them in the event of an emergency," said Matthews. "Clearly visible numbers, both during the day and at night, on the roadway and on the structure, can help save time for first responders to locate addresses in the event of an emergency."

Those with questions are asked to contact Sampson County Emergency Services 911 Addressing at 911Addressing@sampsonnc.com or call 910-592-8996.

Editor Chris Berendt can be reached at 910-592-8137 ext. 2587.