Township of Mount Joy, PA Building Numbering and Street Addresses

It is the legislative determination of the Board of Supervisors that enactment of this chapter is necessary for the protection, benefit, and preservation of the health, safety and welfare of Township inhabitants and visitors. The Board of Supervisors has received requests from Lancaster County-Wide Communications and from emergency service providers that the Township insure that street names and street numbers are not too similar or confusing. The Board of Supervisors has also determined that every property owner should place the building number in a manner which will be visible for emergency service providers to assist such persons in locating the properties and lessening response times.

§ 55-3 Definitions.

As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:

ADMINISTRATOR

The Township Administrator or the Township Manager and his or her designee.

BUILDING

Any structure used or intended to be used as a dwelling or place of business or industry, or any other use requiring a location identity, but shall not include any accessory building located upon a lot where there is also a principal building.

PERSON

Any individual, partnership, company, association, society, corporation or other group or entity.

POLICE DEPARTMENT

The Northwest Regional Lancaster County Police Department or any successor municipal or multi-municipal police department having jurisdiction within the corporate boundaries of the Township.

[Added 4-17-2006 by Ord. No. CCXIII]

PROPERTY

Any separate lot, tract or parcel of land within the Township.

STREET

Any roadway, lane or driveway, whether public or private, that provides access to one or more properties and/or buildings.

TOWNSHIP

The Township of Mount Joy, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

§ 55-4 Determination of property address number.

The Administrator shall number all properties within the Township in accordance with the frontage interval addressing system of the National Emergency Number Association or with such other method of numbering as shall be determined by the Administrator to satisfy requirements for public health and safety and to satisfy requirements of Lancaster County-Wide Communications and emergency service providers.

Street numbers shall be based on an interval system. The assignment of street numbers shall not be based upon zoning, and street numbers shall not be considered authorization to subdivide any property.

The Administrator shall consider existing numbering schemes on the street or on other established public streets in the neighborhood when assigning new numbers for properties.

A property containing frontage upon a street shall have an address on that street unless the Administrator determines that it is prudent to otherwise address the property. When a property has frontage upon more than one street, the Administrator shall determine which street shall be the street of address.

Any property which is accessed from a private lane or driveway which serves two or more properties and is greater than 200 feet in length shall be assigned a property address which contains a unique name for such private lane or driveway. The unique name of the private lane or driveway shall be acceptable to the Board of Supervisors, Lancaster County-Wide Communications, and the United States Postal Service. The Board of Supervisors shall assign a name to any private lane or driveway after notice to the owners of properties which gain access from such private lane or driveway.

§ 55-5 Assignment of address.

The Administrator shall assign a property address to each existing property within the Township. The Administrator shall assign property address numbers to all newly created properties upon recording of a subdivision plan. Once the Administrator has assigned an address to a property, the property shall be designated for all purposes by the address number so assigned.

§ 55-6 Change of address.

The Township shall have the right to change a property address number and/or to change the name of a street when the Board of Supervisors deems such a change to be necessary or desirable. If the Township determines that a change to an existing property address number or a change to the name of an existing street is desirable, the Township shall notify the affected property owner or owners in writing to allow the property owner or owners to submit comments to the Board of Supervisors for consideration. The Township shall allow not more than 45 days from the date of such letter for comments. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the failure of a property owner to receive written notice of an impending change of property address and/or of street name shall not prevent the change of property address number and/or street name.

Upon expiration of the time period for the affected property owner or owners to submit written comments to the Board of Supervisors, the Administrator shall submit written notice of the change of address to the property owner or property owners, the County Assessment Office, County-Wide Communications, Township Emergency Management Agency, local Police Department, US Postal Service and the appropriate first responder Fire Department and ambulance service.

The property owner or property owners shall be responsible for notifying all other parties of the change of address. The US Postal Service will provide change of address information for use by the affected property owner or property owners.

§ 55-7 Buildings required to be numbered.

Every building existing on the effective date of this chapter within the Township shall have a number affixed to it in the manner set forth in this chapter within 30 days of written notice to do so from the Township.

Every building erected in the Township after the effective date of this chapter shall have a building number affixed to it in the manner set forth in this chapter prior to the issuance of a certificate of use and occupancy as required by the Township Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 135).

§ 55-8 Requirements for building numbers.

Building numbers shall be in plain, block numerical form. Script may be permitted if the building numbers are also installed in plain, block numerical format.

Building numbers shall be a minimum of four inches in height for all residential buildings, six inches in height for all buildings with three or more dwelling units, and 10 inches in height for all other buildings.

[Amended 11-17-2008 by Ord. No. CCXLIX]

The building numbers shall be reflectorized or illuminated and shall have a white legend on a green or black background or black legend on a white background or other contrasting colors.

§ 55-9 Placement of building numbers.

All building numbers shall be affixed in a manner so as to be visible from the street. When any building is located within 50 feet of the street line, the building numbers may be conspicuously placed immediately above or at the side of the main door of the building where practical, in such a manner that the number may be seen plainly from the street. Whenever any building is situated more than 50 feet from the street line, the building numbers shall be placed near the walk, driveway or common entrance to the property on which the building is erected or upon a gate, post, mailbox or fence so as to be easily discernible from the street line and shall also be placed conspicuously on the building. Building numbers shall not be permitted to be placed where they will be hidden at any time by obstructions, including, but not limited to, screens, storm doors, grass, shrubbery, and/or trees.

§ 55-10 Maintenance of building numbers.

All building numbers shall be continuously maintained by the owner and/or occupant of the property to conform with the provisions of this chapter.

§ 55-11 Enforcement.

[Amended 4-17-2006 by Ord. No. CCXIII]

The Administrator, the Township Code Enforcement Officer, the Zoning Officer, and the members of the Police Department are hereby authorized and directed to administer and enforce the provisions of this chapter.

§ 55-12 Violations and penalties.

If the Board of Supervisors or the officer designated to enforce this chapter by the Board of Supervisors determines that a person has committed or permitted the commission of a violation of this chapter, the Board of Supervisors or such enforcement officer shall inform such person in writing of the violation, shall notify such person to cease the violation of this chapter and shall inform such person that he or she must pay a civil penalty to the Township within the range of amounts set forth below to settle the violation. The penalty for a first offense shall be not less than $50 and not more than $600; the penalty for a second offense shall be not less than $100 and not more than $600; and the penalty for a third or greater offense shall be not less than $200 nor more than $600. If such person fails or refuses to remit the penalty to the Township within 10 days from the date of the written notice of the violation of this chapter, the Township may commence a civil enforcement proceeding seeking penalties and costs for the violation of this chapter and/or may commence an action in equity. The Township shall seek a judgment for the penalty previously imposed together with additional daily penalties for continuing violations plus all court costs, including the reasonable attorneys' fees incurred by the Township in the enforcement proceedings. Each day that a violation continues shall constitute a separate violation, and each section of this chapter which is violated shall constitute a separate violation. If the defendant neither pays nor timely appeals the judgment, the Township may enforce the judgment pursuant to the applicable rules of civil procedure.