[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Commissioners
of the Township of Lower Allen 6-10-1985 (Art. 1325 of the 1985 Code of Ordinances); amended in
its entirety 12-11-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-07. Subsequent amendments
noted where applicable.]
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
following definitions:
Any building, structure, property, or location which can
be accessed by a public road or a private road and to which emergency
services may, at any time, need to locate and travel to for the provision
of emergency services.
All personnel, vehicles and equipment by police or other
law enforcement agencies, fire or rescue departments, ambulances,
or other medical provider services.
A parcel or contiguous parcels of land which has been so
designated and improved that it contains two or more manufactured
(mobile) home lots for the placement thereon of manufactured (mobile)
homes.
A uniform addressing system of buildings or structures and
of road centerlines which are established, maintained to enhance the
automatic location information system utilized for emergency services.
All persons or entities which has an ownership interest in
real estate on which an address is situate, including, but not limited
to, a fee simple interest, fractional interest, easement, right-of-way
or any other ownership interest which allows such persons or entities
to have any right of control over or provides any duty to maintain
or preserve a private road on said real estate.
A road which is not a public road which leads to any address
to which emergency services may be needed. This term shall include,
but not be limited to, all private drives, roadways or easements used
for vehicle access to multiple properties.
A road owned or maintained by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
or by Lower Allen Township.
The Cumberland County 911 Public Safety System operated by
the Cumberland County Department of Emergency Services designed to
improve the health, safety and welfare of Cumberland County and its
citizens.
A name designated by a Board of Commissioners for any public
road or for any private road.
A sign which identifies to the public the road name designated
by the Board of Commissioners for any public road or for any private
road.
A number assigned to a building or structure in accordance
with the Next Gen911 Public Safety System with reference to an adjacent
road or street on which the building or structure is situated. For
specific sections of roadways with an existing addressing system that
is approved by Lower Allen Township staff and Cumberland County staff.
The "street number" shall be the retained street number in the existing
addressing system that was established in conjunction with the Next
Gen911 Addressing Project.
The owners or tenants of all buildings or structures to which
street numbers have been assigned shall always prominently display
the street number in accordance with the following standards:
A.
Except for such addresses identified below, each address to which
a street number has been assigned shall have a street number visibly
displayed upon the building or structure. The provisions of this section
shall not apply to addresses which are located a distance greater
than 200 feet from the nearest edge of the cartway of the public or
private roadway or upon which signage cannot be attached which would
be readable from the nearest public or private roadway by reason of
natural or man-made obstructions. In all such cases, the owner shall
provide posted street number signage at least 20 feet and not more
than 30 feet from the nearest edge of the cartway of the public or
private roadway. The signage shall have affixed thereon the street
number which has been assigned to the building.
B.
The assigned street numbers shall be either affixed directly to the
building or post or displayed on a sign affixed to the building or
post. The street number shall be displayed in such a manner that the
numbers will contrast in color with the background and will be observed
and readable from the nearest public or private roadway. All numbers
shall be in standard Arabic numerals, not less than four inches in
height and not less than 1/2 inch in width. It is recommended that
the numbers be reflective for greater nighttime visibility.
C.
If, for any reason, the street number of a particular address is
not readily identifiable by posted signage along the roadway whether
due to the proximity of multiple buildings with different street numbers
or for any other reason, in such cases, the street number shall also
be affixed to the building or structure as well as posted by the road.
Similarly, if a single building has multiple street numbers or apartment
numbers such as professional buildings or apartments, a building directory
shall be posted at the main entrance of the building.
The owner of all private roads shall, in addition to the other
requirements set forth in this chapter, install a road name sign (if
not installed by the Township) which identifies the private road as
the private road name adopted by the Board of Commissioners of the
municipality in which the private road is situate. Said road name
sign shall be placed at the entrance where the private road intersects
with the public roadway in a manner which does not create an obstruction
to visibility of motorists. The road name sign shall meet the Pennsylvania
Department of Transportation ("PennDOT") regulations for size, placement
and shall be green with white reflective letters.
The owner of a mobile home park, in addition to the other requirements
set forth in this chapter, shall provide house numbers that are consistent
with the street address on each unit's mailbox.
It shall be unlawful to cover, conceal, obstruct, destroy, remove,
deface, or vandalize any street number or road name sign, installed
or displayed pursuant to and in accordance with the requirements of
this chapter.
Upon determination that the owner of an address has not complied
with the street numbering or road name signage regulations of this
chapter, the Board of Commissioners, or their designated representative,
may pursue any of the following enforcement remedies:
A.
The Board of Commissioners or designee may provide written notice
to the owners of the address which has not been numbered or located
on a private road which has not been named and posted in accordance
with these regulations of the violation and of the need to comply
with this chapter within 45 days.
B.
In the event that any person should persist for longer than 45 days
in refusing to comply with these regulations despite notice to do
so, Township staff may issue a written order directing the owners
of the address in violation of this chapter to comply with the applicable
requirements of this chapter. Any person who is aggrieved by any such
order issued pursuant to this chapter may appeal to the Board of Commissioners
by filing a written notice of appeal to the office of the Board of
Commissioners within 10 days of the date of the subject order.
C.
In the event the owners of the address in violation of this chapter
fail to comply with the order within 10 days or fail to appeal within
10 days, the Township may then provide the signage, as necessary,
in order to bring the address into compliance. The Township may recover
the cost of materials and labor for the purchase and installation
of signage from the address owners, including reasonable administrative
fees, interest or other charges allowed by law. In the event the owners
of the subject address should fail to pay the loss of such installation
as determined and approved then Township staff may institute proceedings
at law to collect the full cost together with all penalties, interest,
reasonable attorney fees, and other charges against the owners thereof
and collect same as a municipal lien or may take any other action
to collect these sums as may be permitted by law.
Any person who shall be found to have engaged in the prohibited unlawful conduct as set for in § 73-4 of this chapter or who shall willfully fail to comply with any order to comply with the street numbering regulations or road name regulations as set forth in § 73-5 of this chapter, shall be guilty of a summary offense and shall upon conviction be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $1,000, plus court costs and reasonable attorneys' fees incurred by the Township in the enforcement proceedings. Upon judgment against any person by summary conviction, or by proceedings by summons on default of the payment of the fine or penalty imposed and the costs, the defendant may be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 90 days. Each day that such violation exists shall constitute a separate offense, and each section of this chapter that is violated shall also constitute a separate offense. In addition to or in lieu of enforcement under this section, the Township may enforce this chapter in equity in the Court of Common Pleas of Cumberland County.
The proper officers of the Board of Commissioners are hereby
authorized to take necessary and proper action to establish, implement
and enforce the standardized system of address street numbering and
road name sign placement as provided for in the chapter and to otherwise
comply with the requirements of the automatic location information
needs of the Next Gen 911 System.
A.
The Board of Commissioners of the Lower Allen Township hereby appoints
the Lower Allen Department of Community and Economic Development staff
as its agent, addressing authority and designated representative in
connection with the naming authority and naming procedures for private
roads; the establishment, maintenance and assignment of road centerline
data; assignment of address numbering direction; assignment of road
ranges and the assignment of address increments. This will allow the
County to better implement the next generation addressing standards
(NG 911) uniformly across the County. The Board of Commissioners shall
retain road naming authority for all public roads which it maintains
and shall retain the enforcement authority for any signage of house
numbers and the enforcement authority for private road name signs
once assigned.
B.
The Board of Commissioners grants all authority necessary for the
implementation and enforcement of this chapter.
The provisions of this chapter shall become effective January
1, 2024.
Should any section, part or provision of this chapter be declared
by appropriate authority to be unlawful or unconstitutional, all other
terms, conditions, provisions and parts hereof, and of any Code of
which this chapter may be or may be considered to be part, shall continue
in full force and effect as if the provision declared to be unlawful
or unconstitutional had been omitted as of the date of the final enactment
hereof.
All ordinances and parts of ordinances inconsistent herewith
are hereby repealed.
