Where do you live? That’s a complicated question for a California town with no street addresses
Associated Press
CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA, Calif. (AP) ā No one in this wealthy California community known for its white-sand beaches and storybook charm has a street address. But unlike the houses in Carmel-By-The-Sea, those days may soon be numbered.
After more than a century of address-free living, this seaside tourist destination where Clint Eastwood once presided as mayor is moving ahead with a plan to assign street numbers to homes and businesses.
Many long-time residents arenāt happy about it.
The city’s residents and visitors must navigate a woodsy, 1-square-mile (2.5-square-kilometer) landscape where houses, stores, restaurants and other buildings donāt have numbers. Itās even more difficult at night because the town has few street lights.
When asked for their address, residents describe their homesā color or style, nearby landmarks like cypress trees and fire hydrants or their location relative to the nearest cross street. Many houses have signs with whimsical names like Neverland, Dreamcatcher and Pinch Me or descriptors such as āSan Antonio 3 SE of 9th.ā
There is no mail delivery service, so residents must pick up up their mail at the U.S. post office, the only building with an official address.
But street addresses may finally be coming to this coastal city of 3,300 residents, about 120 miles (193 kilometers) south of San Francisco. In July, the city council voted 3-2 to move forward with a plan to issue street numbers.
āWhen emergency crews are responding, particularly at night, itās very difficult to count houses in order to find the right house,ā Councilmember Karen Ferlito said, noting the city has an aging population. āSometimes they go to the wrong house and that wastes precious time.ā
Residents complain that many government agencies and businesses require physical address for service. They say delivery and taxi drivers canāt find their homes and often drop off packages and food orders at the wrong house.
āWeāve had flowers delivered that were useless. Weāve had fruit baskets delivered when my dad died that were six weeks old,ā said Betty Kullas, who moved to Carmel 15 years ago. āSometimes if you know itās been delivered somewhere, you have to go out with a flashlight at night, going house to house to see if you can find it.ā
Kullas said her husbandās $13,000 medication never arrived, and having it delivered to the post office wonāt work because it requires refrigeration. It was a struggle to get water, electricity and cable service without a physical address.
But many donāt see the need for street addresses, even in modern times when people increasingly use their addresses to shop online and get important legal documents.
āI was born in Carmel 67 years ago. I grew up with no street addresses, and itās just something youāre used to,ā life-long resident Grant Johnson said outside the post office. āThatās one of the charms of Carmel. Itās one of the stories we get to tell.ā
Those opposed include the mayor, who voted against the measure.
āIf itās not broke, donāt fix it,ā Mayor Dave Potter said during an interview at his home. āI just donāt think itās necessary. I mean, honestly, weāve lived this way for 100 years. We donāt need them.ā
The issue of street addresses has generated controversy in Carmel since its founding in 1916, often pitting business owners against residents intent on preserving the character, culture and village charm.
City officials passed an ordinance requiring house numbering in 1926, but preservation-minded residents fought back. Three years later, the city passed an ordinance to keep Carmelās residential streets free of sidewalks, street lights, neon signs, high-rise buildings, mailboxes. It also prohibited street addresses.
In 1953, Carmel threatened to secede from California over proposed state legislation requiring house numbers. The bill didnāt pass.
The issue reemerged as a hot-button issue during the pandemic, when in-person interactions were curtailed and more residents wanted to have packages and meals delivered to their homes.
Local law enforcement and fire officials spoke out in support of addresses at the July 9 council meeting, noting the lack of street numbers violates fire and building codes.
Potter dismissed the safety concerns, pointing out that local emergency service providers have detailed knowledge of the town and can respond within a few minutes.
Some longtime residents worry street numbers will take away from Carmelās quaintness.
āIāve lived here so long, Iāve kind of forgotten what itās like to have mail delivered, so it doesnāt bother me,ā resident Virginia Crapo said. āI think itās more communal when you have to come down to the post office to get your mail because you can see your neighbors.ā
Even after homes receive street addresses, the post office will remain open and there will be no delivery mail service to residences, Ferlito said.
After the council vote, the city staff was directed to develop a numbering plan that must be approved by the U.S. Postal Service.
But the story isnāt over. In November, residents will vote for city councilmembers and a mayor who will determine the fate of whether to issue addresses to residents.
āThis is a very political issue, and I donāt know what will happen after the election, but I hope that the new council will continue to stay the course,ā said Councilmember Jeff Baron, who is running for mayor and voted for street addresses.
Others agree itās time to join the modern world.
āI donāt think street numbers will ruin the charm,ā said part-time resident Bruce Edwards, who was picking up mail from his post office box. āIām in favor of it because of delivery issues. Uber will work better. The ambulances will be able to find us when I have a heart attack. And my UPS driver will be able to deliver my books.ā