This chapter shall be known as the "Building Numbering and Street
Naming Ordinance."
The Board of Supervisors of Potter Township find that the police,
ambulance and fire services have had difficulty locating addresses
of homes and businesses on streets and roads due to the lack of lot
and building identification numbers. It is, therefore, the purpose
of this chapter to establish a system of numbering all lots on which
there is located a dwelling unit or business so that police, ambulance
and fire services can locate addresses in emergencies.
[Amended 3-16-1998 by Ord. No. 2-1998]
This chapter is authorized by Section 1506 of the Second Class
Township Code, 53 P.S. § 66506.
From and after the effective date of this chapter, it shall
be the duty of each owner of property to cause each lot or parcel
and each dwelling unit and each business upon each lot or parcel to
be numbered in accordance with this chapter.
The Township Secretary shall be responsible for assigning numbers
to dwellings and businesses and each occupied lot or parcel. Any owner
of property on which there exists a dwelling unit or business which
does not presently have a number assigned to it shall apply to the
Township Secretary for assignment of a number.
The Township Secretary shall have the power and authority to
change numbers for the purpose of the orderly numbering of addresses.
The Secretary shall change the number of a dwelling or business by
sending a notice to the owner notifying the owner of the new number
assigned by certified mail, return receipt request or by personal
service or by posting the notice on the property. The owner of the
property receiving such notice shall cause the numbers to be changed
within 30 days of receipt of posting of such notice by the Secretary.
The numbers shall be Arabic numbers and shall be of durable
materials. Each digit shall be at least four inches in height and
1/2 inch wide. The colors shall be in contrast with the immediate
background so as to be easily readable.
Numbers shall be located and placed so as to clearly identify
the structure containing each dwelling unit or business in accordance
with the following regulations:
A. The numbers shall be placed in a conspicuous place so as to clearly
identify the location of the dwelling unit or business.
B. The placement of the numbers must be such that the numbers can be
seen and read from the sidewalk (if any) in front of said dwelling
unit or business from the traveled portion of the street and from
the opposite side of the street.
C. The number may be placed upon the structure containing the dwelling
unit or business or upon the mailbox or upon a fence, wall, post or
other type of fixture of substantial nature such that the number shall
clearly indicate the location of the dwelling unit or business in
accordance with the requirements of this section.
It shall be unlawful to cover or conceal or to permit the slight
obstruction of the numbers required to be displayed by this chapter.
It shall further be unlawful to post other numbers which would be
confusing. All old numbers shall be removed when a new number has
been assigned by the Secretary in accordance with this chapter.
The following definitions shall apply to this chapter:
BUSINESS
A building or portion of a building designed and occupied
by a nonresidential, commercial, industrial, institutional, governmental
or nonresidential use.
DWELLING UNIT
A building or portion of a building designed to be occupied
by one family for human living quarters.
OWNER
Includes the following: a legal owner.
The following buildings and uses shall be exempt from the requirements
of this chapter:
A. Farm buildings and structures which are accessory to use except that
buildings used for the retail sale of products grown on the farm and
farm residences shall be numbered.
C. Buildings, structures, uses accessory to the primary use of a commercial,
industrial, institutional, governmental or other nonresidential use
or structure.
D. Unoccupied farm land or lot containing no dwellings or businesses.
Only the Township can name a street/road.
All signs must be erected in accordance with the following regulations:
A. Township standard sign ordinance or sign approved by the Board of
Supervisors.
B. Location. All signs must be placed off the state and Township rights-of-way.
C. Style: English words; must be a double-sided sign placed perpendicular
to the road.
[Amended 3-16-1998 by Ord. No. 2-1998]
Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any provision
of this chapter, upon conviction thereof in an action brought before
a Magisterial District Judge in the manner provided for the enforcement
of summary offenses under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure,
shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $1,000 plus costs
and, in default of payment of said fine and costs, to a term of imprisonment
not to exceed 90 days. Each day that a violation of this chapter continues
or each section of this chapter which shall be found to have been
violated shall constitute a separate offense.