January 3, 2019
Addressing county noncompliance
Revisiting the Burkle System
BY HUNTER L. ANDES
A problem that the North Dakota state legislature tried to resolve nearly 30 years ago is still an issue.
In June 2018, the McLean County Independent and Mountrail County Record published a series of articles on the Burkle Street and Address System in North Dakota. In the recent weeks, the inconsistent street numbers, house numbers and lack of street signs in the area, has surfaced as being problematic and even a potential liability.
The Burkle System, crafted in the late 1980s by the late Kornard Burkle, Stark County’s former 911 coordinator and emergency manager, essentially created a unified statewide grid, which is centered approximately six miles east of McLean County near McClusky. It breaks the state into four quadrants and is designed so people can find their way around the North Dakota countryside without the help of a map or GPS. The U.S. Post Office also uses this system for mail delivery.
In June 2018, the McLean County Independent and Mountrail County Record published a series of articles on the Burkle Street and Address System in North Dakota. In the recent weeks, the inconsistent street numbers, house numbers and lack of street signs in the area, has surfaced as being problematic and even a potential liability.
The Burkle System, crafted in the late 1980s by the late Kornard Burkle, Stark County’s former 911 coordinator and emergency manager, essentially created a unified statewide grid, which is centered approximately six miles east of McLean County near McClusky. It breaks the state into four quadrants and is designed so people can find their way around the North Dakota countryside without the help of a map or GPS. The U.S. Post Office also uses this system for mail delivery.
