[HISTORY: Adopted by the Annual Town Meeting
of the Town of Groton 4-27-2009 by Art. 11.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]
[1]
Editor's Note: This enactment also repealed former Ch. 119,
Buildings, Numbering of, adopted 4-25-1992 ATM by Art. 18.
Pursuant to the statutory authorization granted
under MGL C. 40, § 21, and C. 148, § 59, the Town
of Groton hereby enacts this chapter requiring and regulating the
numbering of buildings within the municipal boundaries of the Town
of Groton.
The standards and regulations set forth within
the provisions of this chapter shall have the purpose and effect of
promoting the general health, safety, welfare and convenience of the
inhabitants of the Town of Groton by reducing the difficulty in responding
to individual residences in cases of police, fire, medical or other
emergency situations requiring immediate location and response; by
facilitating the delivery efforts of the United States Postal Service
through the creation of a numbering system for all delivery locations;
by decreasing the potential for traffic accidents caused by motorists
searching for address locations; by improving local census data-gathering
capabilities; by improving the accuracy of important legal documents
requiring address location information; and by assisting the planning
efforts of a growing community.
A.
This chapter shall be administered by the Town Manager
or his/her designee, who shall see that building numbers are assigned
to all dwellings, public buildings, businesses and structures used
as a place of business or gathering.
B.
The Town Clerk shall prepare and maintain through
annual update a street list of the Town of Groton consisting of an
alphabetical listing of all streets, with residents or business names
listed in the order of their assigned numbers.
C.
The Town Manager or his/her designee shall see to
the preparation of a Town Map indicating the approximate location
of the numbering system within the Town.
All dwellings, public buildings, businesses, structures, and
places of gathering, as determined by the Fire Chief, shall be identified
by their properly assigned street number (as assigned and certified
by the Town of Groton). It is the responsibility of each property
owner to obtain the correct street number from the Town Manager or
his/her designee. It shall be the responsibility of the owner/occupant
to maintain and attend to the assigned street number(s). Under no
circumstance should a street number, other than that which is properly
assigned, be displayed. Numbers shall be displayed within 60 days
of the enactment of this chapter or within 60 days of a new street
number assignment. New structures must have their numbers properly
displayed prior to occupancy.
A.
New structures.
Whenever any residential or nonresidential structure is constructed
or developed, it shall be the duty of the owner to procure an assigned
number or numbers from the Building Commissioner. The number shall
be assigned prior to the issuance of any permits associated with the
construction.
B.
Building
numbering changes. When it is necessary to correct an existing building
number for public safety purposes, the Fire Chief shall assign a new
building number. All affected property owners shall be notified in
writing of the change. The written notice shall advise that the new
number shall become effective 60 days from the date of the notice.
[Amended 10-1-2018 ATM
by Art. 14]
After public notice and public hearing, the
Select Board shall have authority to promulgate rules and regulations
to implement this chapter, to enforce the provisions of this chapter,
and to take any other actions reasonable and appropriate to implement
this chapter.
All parcels of land in the Town of Groton that
do not contain buildings will be assigned parcel numbers that are
identical to those recorded in the Assessor’s database for the
Town. Use of these parcel numbers for emergency situations is limited
to when no building numbers are available.
A.
The Town Manager or his/her designee shall enforce
this chapter, its regulations, orders, violation notices, and enforcement
orders, and may pursue all civil and criminal remedies for such violations.
B.
Orders. The Town Manager or his/her designee may issue
a written order to enforce the provisions of this chapter, or the
regulations thereof.
C.
Criminal
penalty. Any person who violates any provision of this chapter, regulation,
order or permit issued thereunder, shall be punished by a fine of
not more than $300. Each day or part thereof that such violation occurs
or continues shall constitute a separate offense.
D.
Noncriminal disposition. As an alternative to criminal prosecution or civil action, the Town may elect to utilize the noncriminal disposition procedure set forth in MGL C. 40, § 21D, which has been adopted by the Town in the Code of the Town of Groton Chapter 1, § 1-4, Complaints, in which case the Town Manager or his/her designee shall be the enforcing person. The penalty for each violation shall be $50 for the first violation, $100 for the second violation, and $300 for the third violation. Each day or part thereof that such violation occurs or continues shall constitute a separate offense.
If any provision, paragraph, sentence, or clause of this chapter
is held invalid for any reason by a court of competent jurisdiction,
all other provisions shall continue in full force and effect.
