A contentious planning board meeting about naming roads was a bit more calm when the matter came before a final decision by county commissioners.

Commissioners unanimously approved Dandelion Lane at 2103 Cornatzer Road, Advance; and Sparrow Lane at 484 Calahaln Road, Mocksville.

At the planning board meeting, residents of the now Sparrow Lane questioned the reasoning, saying they had no problem giving people directions to their home on an unnamed road.

The issue came before the county when another property owner applied for a building permit. County ordinance calls for any road, private or public, with two or more residences, be named.

“It’s not a matter of whether the road should be named, it’s what name will the road be,” said John Gallimore, GIS director. He said that prior to the county adopting road names and numbers, the post office often changed people’s addresses as routes changed.

Public safety responses – police, fire and medical – rely on accurate street addresses, Gallimore said.

Sheriff J.D. Hartman said his officers could have trouble finding houses on unnamed roads. “It’s going to take a longer time for them (officers) to figure that out.”

Commissioner Dan Barrett said he understands the burden it puts on property owners, “but this is a reliable system.”