DANVILLE – By the end of spring, nearly all homes and businesses in Montour County will have new addresses, the county announced this morning.

That was the commissioners decision after a countywide study showed that some addresses are from thousands of feet to up to a half-mile off from the location where the county's GIS says they should be. That makes them more difficult for firefighters and ambulances to find when response time matters, the press release said.

A more uniform addressing system will also allow for future growth, said Commissioner Ken Holdren.

The decision comes as part of Columbia and Montour counties consolidating their 9-1-1 Centers.

Holdren said residents will need to update certain documents as a result of the address change, but promised the county will attempt to make the process as pain-free as possible.

“We will be working with everyone to ensure a smooth transition during the address updating process,” said Holdren, who expects the change to occur in April. “The post office will recognize both old and new addresses for one year and the people affected will be able to change their driver’s licenses and vehicle registrations at no cost.”

As part of the consolidation, the county is also in the midst of naming a number of unnamed private lanes in the county, using suggestions by those who live on them.

The press release says Montour County plans to post a complete address transition plan to its website,  www.montourco.org, by the end of February. County officials will also reach out to anyone whose address will change through mailings, online communications and town hall meetings. Officials will also be available to answer questions via phone.

The county let municipal officials, law enforcement and first responders know about the changes at a meeting on Tuesday night.

Montour County expects to be full merged with Columbia's 9-1-1 center by May, the press release says.

We'll have more on this story as we know it.