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709 get physical addresses
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Posted on Oct 28 2020
Since Aug. 3, 2020, when the Saipan Mayor’s Office began assigning numbers to homes and non-commercials buildings in the southernmost part of the island, a total of 709 street address numbers have already been handed out and the project continues to roll out to the rest of the island.
Speaking at the Rotary Club of Saipan’s weekly meeting at the Hyatt Regency Saipan yesterday, Henry Hofschneider, who is special assistant to Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang, said that the Saipan Mayor’s Office has already given out the numbers to homes, non-commercials buildings, churches, government offices, etc., in Koblerville. The numbering of the households and establishments will let them know what their street address number is, their street name, and what village they are in.
Hofschneider said the 709 street address numbers were handed out covering the period from Aug. 3 to Oct. 27. He believes that this will benefit first-responders who need to respond to an emergency quickly as this will give them a way to quickly locate an address. Right now, 911 operators are guided by the closest landmark but not the exact location. This will also allow people to give easier directions, instead of using “local directions” that consist of saying “turn left from the third coconut tree, pass the two abandoned houses, and my house is the third house on your left.”
According to Hofschneider, the mayor’s office is also looking at asking homeowners who live on streets that do not have a name what they would like their street name to be called. He acknowledged that there are many roads and streets on Saipan that have never been named.
When putting up the numbers, property owners are mandated to post the new numbers in a way that make them visible from the road. Additionally, the house numbers should be at a minimum height of 5.5 feet to 5.6 feet from the floor. The font size will be 4 inches to 9 inches.
As far as having the U.S. Postal Service hand-deliver mail to a property owner’s place, Hofschneider said that that would be up to the USPS and not the mayor’s office. He added that there are other mailing services such as FedEx, DHL, etc. that will be able to deliver to one’s physical address.
