Here are details about Jerusalem addressing

To the Editor,
Perhaps you have experience with, or have noticed some of the visible addressing issues in Jerusalem: houses with multiple numbers, numbers with multiple houses, one road with two names, one name with two roads, odd and even numbers on both sides of the road, intermingled numbering systems, to list just a few. There are many other issues, and while only one or two of these issues may affect each of us, different issues are encountered by emergency and delivery services, and still different ones by the departments of Jerusalem Town Hall, the Board of Elections, and travelers and tourists.

There also are many not-so-visible problems: the lack of numbers to assign new building projects on some roads is one of them.  How this all came about is understandable, but this situation cannot be allowed to continue – public safety being the number one reason.
The original 38-page Addressing Proposal was presented to the Jerusalem Town Board on June 18, 2008 and is posted at www.jerusalem-ny.org. The board requested the proposal come before them in a more manageable format of a few resolutions at a time. 

Resolutions have been passed that officially named several private roads (this will allow road name signs to be erected along NY54A) and local law code that establishes: responsibility for assigning and maintaining records of all road names and numbers (this will stop the current practice of citizens and others assigning their own road name and number, and insure that names and numbers are assigned appropriately), uniform standards for the displaying of building numbers, owner responsibilities with regard to displaying numbers, responsibility for compliance, and enforcement (this will insure that numbers are posted so that emergency services and delivery services can find the correct address in a timely manner). 
Listed below are the three resolutions before the Jerusalem Town Board and the reasons they need to be passed.

Resolution 1: ROAD NAMES – Gives the two sections of NY54A road names for local addressing.
The road naming and numbering that works around other Finger Lakes do not work along Keuka Lake in Jerusalem because of the lake’s Y shape and the two sections of State Route 54A.  It has two main sections in Jerusalem: an east-west section from Penn Yan to Branchport and a north-south section from Branchport south to the Steuben county line.  As long as the entire length of NY54A has one name, no numbering system yields functional unique addresses.  However, as soon as the two sections of NY54A have two local names paired with the numbering grids of Resolution 2, all properties have unique and functional addresses.

Resolution 2: STREET/ROAD NUMBERS – Use the current 4-digit fire code grid along non-lake roads and the “1000-numbers per mile” grid along the lake roads.
The 4-digit fire grid system allows for 300 numbers per mile (150 for each side of the road) along roads that run N/S or E/W.  However, when a road bends or runs diagonally to the fire grid, it may yield less than 200 numbers per mile.  When this occurs, there are not enough numbers available to assign numbers to the properties.  The old lake numbers being used along the shores demonstrate this – not enough numbers is what led to the use of the alphabet soup of A, B, R, L, etc.  The 4-digit fire grid numbers were assigned years ago to the non-lake roads and seem to be functional. However, along the lake roads, the properties have smaller road frontages, thus requiring more numbers.  A 1000-number per mile grid is being proposed to replace the old 100-number per mile grid. The additional digit will allow the lake roads to be numbered following the standard odd/even convention and maintain the distance from the end of the lake concept that works so well for both drivers and boaters.  The two number grids are compatible and together make a very functional complete numbering system. 
Thus, the passing of both resolutions 1 and 2 will result in an addressing system that should serve Jerusalem into the future. 

Resolution 3: GUIDELINES FOR ASSIGNING NUMBERS - The guidelines used for numbering.
There are no written guidelines for assigning numbers, so establishing an official set of guidelines will ensure that property numbers will be assigned using these same procedures in the future.
NOTE:  Even though some of the proposals have been passed, none of the resolutions will be activated until  all resolutions have been adopted. Then the Town of Jerusalem will notify all residents and property owners of their official street address – this will include all those whose addresses do not change as well as those with new road names and/or new numbers.  Included in that letter will be the dates of compliance and answers to questions regarding compliance.  Residents should not make any changes until receiving this letter and information.
More detailed information is available at www.jerusalem-ny.org. You may also  attend one to the two public information meetings scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 28 and May 5, 2009 at the Branchport Fire Department.
Robert Johnson, Chair
Jerusalem Addressing Committee, Chairman
Branchport