This chapter shall be known and may be cited
as the "Mount Joy Township Building Numbering and Street Address Ordinance."
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.
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.
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.
A. 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.
B. 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.
C. 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.
D. 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.
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.
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.
A. 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.
B. 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.
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.
All building numbers shall be continuously maintained
by the owner and/or occupant of the property to conform with the provisions
of this chapter.
[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.
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.