A divided Carmel City Council gives a green light to street addresses.

The town famous for having no numbered street addresses is now a step closer to adding them, after a divided 3-2 vote of the Carmel City Council on Tuesday, July 9.

Councilmember Karen Ferlito, serving as a one-person ad hoc committee exploring addresses after Councilmember Alissandra Dramov left it, urged the council to move toward numbered addresses for health and safety reasons, so that first responders could easily find homes and bring help to residents faster.

Ferlito pointed out that California fire and building codes both require properties to have numbered addresses. 

One resident recalled having paramedics come to her house by mistake. She also recalled a time that she had to wave down a delivery truck bringing a needed oxygen tank because the driver couldn't find her home on a map.

Other residents mentioned issues with getting Amazon deliveries or troubles with government paperwork requiring a numbered address.

There were those that continued to argue that adding addresses to the quaint town would destroy so-called "village character." One woman likened it to "death by paper cuts."

Mayor Dave Potter and Dramov sided with those who reject addresses, but Ferlito, Vice Mayor Bobby Richards and Councilmember Jeff Baron said they doubted numbers would harm Carmel's character and it was time to move forward. 

With the 3-2 vote, the staff is now charged with coming back in September with an implementation plan.