What’s in a New Street Name?

This year, the Town of Matthews (in partnership with Mecklenburg County) built one new street – Sports Parkway between Tank Town and Matthews-Mint Hill Roads.

The number of new streets created in previous years are:  2017 – 3; 2016 – 2; 2015 – 2; 2014 – 0. These include Lake Harmony Drive off of Mount Harmony Church Road, Downton Court in the Eden Hall development on Fullwood Lane, and Margaret Ridge Drive in the Stevens Grove subdivision off of Highway 51. The most recently created streets are Talbot Court, Hamlet Court, and Kings Manor Court.

Photo by Renee Garner

To create a street and name, developers must propose the names; the Town has code requirements to ensure that new street names are appropriate and not duplicated. Mecklenburg County ultimately approves the name and assigns the individual street addresses.

The Planning Department reviews street names when new subdivisions/developments are in plan review. The Zoning Administrator, Mary Jo Gollnitz, considers the proposed street names for the Town, as do Matthews Planning Department, Public Works, Police Department, and Fire & EMS Department before the name is submitted to Mecklenburg County for final approval. 

According to code, proper street names must consist of one to three words, plus a street type suffix. The name must not duplicate or too closely approximate phonetically the name of any other street within the Town or county. Street names cannot include a business name, punctuation, possibly offensive words, or directional suffixes. 

The first word of a street name can only be used in two other locations within the county. The only exception to this is the use of a generic label naming a topographic feature or a color.

According to the National League of Cities, the five top street names in the country are Second, Third, First, Fourth, and Park.

According to the US Census Bureau’s US Tiger/Shapefiles, 2014, the most common street name in North Carolina is Dogwood. The top 10 street names in this state are: Dogwood (328), Park (304), Oak (261), Pine (245), Ridge (234), Cedar (225), Maple (225), Sunset (220), Church (204), and 2nd/Second (193).

The naming of streets reflects the era in which it was created – 18th- and 19th-century streets often reflected English (UK) roots or defined the purpose of that road. Later 19th-century developers named streets after trees and flowers; 20th- and 21st-century streets often mirror developers’ family names. Most recently, following the rise in technology and modernization, roads are again reflecting the generic definition of the business located on that street.

Aging Tree Canopy

If residents think they are noticing an increase in fallen trees around town this year, they are correct.

According to Ralph Ramsaur, Town of Matthews Landscape Manager and Town Arborist, the increase is due both to the recent hurricane and excessive wind and rain – “big storm events,” he termed it. “Trees in low-lying areas can fall after a lot of rain. Many times, there is a good percentage of decay and signs of old age in the fallen trees.”

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

Recently, a decayed tree took down a pole and fence near the Fire Department. Other downed trees were found within a number of subdivisions and on Weddington Road.  Areas with older trees which are most susceptible include Stumptown and Squirrel Lake Parks.

According to Ramsaur, some recommendations for safety and maintenance include: having trees inspected professionally and having homeowners walk their property to take a closer look at their surrounding trees. Among the signs to watch out for: fungus, giant mushroom type-growth around the base of a tree, and an increase in black carpenter ants or termites. Also, if you look up at a tree and don’t see any leaves at the top, this may also signal decay.

Among the tools that arborists/tree professionals may use is a “resistograph” - a fine drill that goes into the tree to test resistance, providing a percentage of tree decay. If a tree shows more than 35-40%, that tree should be removed, according to Ramsaur.

Photo by Linda Edwards/White Rock Studio

“The trees in Matthews are a part of its character. These are old Matthews trees that have been here since Matthews was founded.”

— Linda Edwards

For Judi Bex, owner of property on West McDowell Street, and Linda and Joe Edwards of White Rock Studio on South Trade Street, more than a few trees have fallen between them; all had to be professionally removed.  These are beautiful old trees,” said Bex. “(This) is the price of owning a home.”

But, the downing of such trees is bittersweet for long-time residents such as the Edwards, who have watched their (same) surrounding foliage for more than 35 years. “The trees in Matthews are a part of its character. These are old Matthews trees that have been here since Matthews was founded,” said Linda. “We’re going to miss the shade so much. It’s almost like a part of Matthews history has gone away.”

However, while something familiar is now gone, it has been replaced by a something new. “I have sun coming through where I didn’t know there was sun!” exclaimed Linda.