[Adopted 2-16-1993 by Bill No. 1993-5]
[Amended 10-17-2006 by Bill No. 2006-11]
The purpose of this article is to establish
a system for the assignment of road names and numbering of property
in Wicomico County, Maryland. The County Council has deemed it in
the best interest of the health, safety and welfare of Wicomico County
and its citizens that such a system be adopted in order to provide
automatic location identification for enhanced 911 services and to
provide a more efficient system for the delivery of emergency services,
the delivery of mail and goods and other public and private purposes.
The rules, regulations and provisions set forth
in this article shall apply to all the lands, properties, buildings
and other structures within Wicomico County and outside the limits
of incorporated towns and cities in Wicomico County. The rules, regulations
and provisions contained in this article may also be made applicable
within the corporate limits of any municipality, provided that an
agreement between Wicomico County and the municipality has first been
executed. Any such agreement shall include but not be limited to provisions
for coordinating the approval of new road or street names.
As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
The committee of persons appointed by the County Executive
and confirmed by the County Council of Wicomico County to develop
guidelines and criteria for the implementation and maintenance of
the new numbering system.
[Amended 10-17-2006 by Bill No. 2006-11]
The County Council of Wicomico County, Maryland.
The Department of Planning, Zoning and Community Development.
[Amended 12-18-2012 by Bill No. 2012-13]
A public or private way for vehicular traffic, including
a right-of-way, street, avenue, drive, lane, terrace, boulevard, circle,
court, parkway, highway or other similar terms.
A.
The Department shall keep and maintain a road naming
and addressing manual which describes in detail the criteria, procedures
and methods used to name roads and to assign address numbers to properties
in Wicomico County. This manual shall include a grid system from which
the address numbers will be derived.
B.
The Department shall keep and maintain a set of maps
of Wicomico County which display the address grid system and the names
of roads.
A.
The County Council shall approve by resolution an
official road name list for Wicomico County. For each road, the list
shall include the following minimum information:
B.
The Address Committee shall develop guidelines that
define which roads are to be included on the official road name list
and which are to be used for the assigning of new address numbers
under this article. These guidelines, upon approval by the Wicomico
County Council, shall be incorporated into the road naming and addressing
manual.
C.
The official road name list may be amended from time
to time by the County Council to change the name of or to delete a
listed road. The County Council shall hold a public hearing on the
proposed changes prior to their adoption.
D.
The owners of property on a road included on the official
road name list may petition the County Council to change the name
of the road. Any such petition shall be on the form obtained from
the Department. A petition to change a road name shall contain the
signatures of 100% of the owners of developed properties on the road.
The County Council may waive the requirement for one-hundred-percent
signatures on the petition only if it determines that unique and unusual
circumstances justify a waiver of this policy.
E.
Any new road opened, platted or created shall be incorporated
into the official road name list by the Department if the road meets
the criteria contained in the road naming and addressing manual. The
Department shall have the authority to approve or disapprove the name
of any new road to prevent duplicate, similar sounding, confusing
or inappropriate road names.
F.
Any new road opened, platted or created after the
effective date of this article, whether public or private, shall have
an approved road name sign posted at each intersection. The Wicomico
County Department of Public Works (Roads Division) shall develop a
fee schedule which covers the initial sign installation, maintenance
and replacement of the sign by the Department. The subdivider or developer
shall pay these fees to the Department of Public Works (Roads Division).
[Amended 12-18-2012 by Bill No. 2012-13]
A.
All property subject to this article containing a
home, business or other primary use or structure shall have an address
number assigned in accordance with the criteria and procedures specified
in the road naming and addressing manual. The Department shall keep
and maintain the list of properties and addresses.
B.
Address numbers shall be assigned in accordance with
the criteria and procedures specified in the road naming and addressing
manual. Address numbers shall be assigned based on the proposed location
of the driveway or entrance to the property.
C.
Building permits. An applicant for a building permit
shall submit a site plan showing the location of the proposed structure
and driveway or entrance to the property. The Department shall assign
an address number to a property. The address number shall be assigned
and the applicant notified within 10 business days of receiving the
application for a building permit.
A.
Following the initial assignment of new addresses,
a notification of the new address shall be mailed to the owner of
the property by United States Mail, First-Class postage prepaid. The
name and address of the property owner shall be as obtained from the
records of the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation.
B.
The owner of any property who receives notification
of a new address number shall be responsible for informing all tenants
or occupants of the new address.
C.
The owner, tenant and/or occupant of an existing improved
property as of the effective date of this article shall have a period
of one year from the date the notification is mailed to make all address
changes or adjustments. Thereafter, the address number assigned under
this article shall be the only street or location address used by
the owner, tenant and/or occupant of the property.
D.
Within one year from the date the notification of
the new address is mailed, the owner of an existing improved property
shall have placed on his or her property, in a location visible from
the road upon which the address number is assigned, Arabic numerals
at least three inches high showing the address number of the house
or building. Numbers placed on mailboxes or signs shall satisfy this
requirement only if the home or building is clearly identifiable in
relation to the mailbox or sign. All address numbers shall be displayed
in conformance with the guidelines prepared by the Address Committee.
The Address Committee may, from time to time, revise the guidelines
for the displaying of new address numbers.
E.
New improvements to be constructed after the effective
date of this article shall comply with the guidelines for the display
of address numbers prior to the date of occupancy of the property.
Prior to the start of construction, a temporary weather-resistant
address sign shall be posted on the property. The address number shall
be legible and visible from the adjoining road. The Address Committee
may, from time to time, develop and/or revise guidelines for the display
of temporary address numbers at construction sites.
A.
A violation of any provision of this article or failure
to comply with any requirement thereof shall constitute a civil infraction.
Each day on which a violation of this article continues shall constitute
a separate offense. The Director of the Department of Planning, Zoning
and Community Development or his designee is hereby authorized to
issue citations for civil infractions of this article. A citation
shall be issued once a violation of this article is noted. A person
receiving a citation must correct the violation as well as pay a fine
of $100 for the first violation and a fine of not less than $100 and
not more than $1,000 for each subsequent violation.
[Amended 10-24-2000 by Bill No. 2000-9; 12-18-2012 by Bill No. 2012-13]
B.
Once a person charged with a violation has received
the infraction citation for the first violation, it shall not be necessary
to deliver an infraction citation for any subsequent violation of
the same provision or section of this article. A subsequent violation
shall mean a violation of the same section or provision of this article
upon the same parcel or piece of real property which has occurred
not more than 30 days, but not less than 24 hours, after the first
violation.
C.
The Department may enforce this article by civil action
for declaratory judgment and/or injunction in addition to or instead
of citing the violator for a civil infraction. In the case of a civil
action for declaratory judgment and/or injunction, the County may
recover its legal fees and costs from the violator.
D.
The owner, tenant and/or occupant of any building,
structure, premises or part thereof and any architect, builder, contractor,
engineer, agent or any other person who causes, commits, participates
in, assists in or maintains a violation of this article shall be guilty
of a separate offense and subject to all the penalties set forth herein.
