[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council
of the Borough of Metuchen 5-15-1989 by Ord. No. 89-10. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
A.Â
The Police Department and the other borough emergency
services have reported to the Mayor and Council that up to 10% of
existing borough structures either have no street number affixed to
them or are not visible from the street.
B.Â
These emergency services have, as a result, been prevented
from quickly locating a particular house during an emergency with
the possibility of consequent harm to the occupants and owners.
C.Â
The Borough Council finds that it is in the interest
of public health and safety to provide that each dwelling and business
establishment display its street number in a prominent location in
order that it be both visible and legible from the street at all times
in order to facilitate the expeditious response of police, fire and
first-aid units.
D.Â
The Borough Council has concluded it to be in the
borough's best interest to provide for an express declaration through
this chapter of the responsibility of each property owner to post
and maintain the address numerals provided for by the terms and conditions
of the chapter.
A.Â
Every residential dwelling unit and each principal
commercial and industrial structure within the borough shall be obliged
to post and maintain the address numerals referred to in this chapter.
The responsibility for the posting and maintenance of the address
numerals shall be that of the property owner listed in the most recent
tax assessment records of the borough.
B.Â
Address numerals shall be mounted as either dark numbers
on a light background or light numbers on a dark background and lighted,
as necessary, so as to be visible from the curbline of the street
or driveway. Each numeral shall be at least three inches in height.
The use of printed words or script spelling the number, rather than
numerals themselves, shall be prohibited.
A.Â
The posting of address numerals for various types
of structures shall be as follows:
(1)Â
For single-family residences, including attached townhouse
units, address numerals shall be displayed within close proximity
to the front door or main entranceway. In any case where the main
residential structure is not visible from the roadway, the address
numerals shall be mounted, at least three feet above grade, on a fixed
post or mailbox within 10 feet to either side of the driveway or walkway
that leads to the main residence from the roadway.
(2)Â
For multiple-family attached dwellings, including
garden apartments, condominiums and flats, the address numerals for
each structure within the complex shall be affixed either near the
roofline of the building or mounted at least four feet above grade
on a fixed post or mailbox visible from the street or internal roadway
nearest the structure. Individual units within the multifamily structure
shall affix address numerals on their main entry doors or within three
feet of said doors to show their specific apartment or unit designations.
(3)Â
For commercial establishments, including but not limited
to office buildings, strip stores, single businesses or industrial
concerns, address numerals shall be posted within three feet of, affixed
to or painted upon the main entry door.
B.Â
In addition to the above requirements, if any of these
premises have a rear drive or alley which is visible from the street
or the internal roadway which affords access, the address numerals
of said unit shall be posted, as previously described, on or near
the rear main entrance or overhead door as well.
Enforcement of this chapter shall lie within
the responsibility of members of the Police Department and the Volunteer
Fire Department of the borough who shall initially issue a warning
if the property owner's property is not in compliance with this chapter
and shall follow the warning with a summons to appear in the Municipal
Court for violation of this chapter, should a reinspection, occurring
no sooner than 10 days after the warning, find the property still
in noncompliance.
A property owner who shall violate the provisions of this chapter shall be penalized as provided in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article 1. Each day the property owner remains in noncompliance with the requirements of this chapter shall be deemed to a separate and distinct offense.
