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Township of Chestnuthill, PA
Monroe County
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[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of Chestnuthill 12-20-2011 by Ord. No. 2012-01. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Building construction — See Ch. 34.
Uniform construction codes — See Ch. 41.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ADDRESSABLE BUILDING
Any habitable residential structure and any nonresidential structure containing single or multiple retail, commercial or other units, whether vacant or occupied part-time or full-time.
A. 
Building numbers required. It is and it shall be the duty of each and every owner, trustee, lessee, agent, occupant, and possessor of each and every existing addressable building located in Chestnuthill Township, whether on a public or private roadway, to be numbered with its official building number assigned by Chestnuthill Township in conformity with the Monroe County 911 Address project. The building number sign shall be installed on an approved post and/or mount at the intersection of the driveway to the building and the private or public road right-of-way, or as otherwise provided for herein. The number shall be permanently posted and affixed as set forth herein. All persons required to number existing or proposed houses, buildings, or other structures shall contact Chestnuthill Township and secure an assigned building number.
B. 
Specifications of building number posts and signs; location of the sign. The building number sign shall be placed on a clearly visible approved post or mount, or other similar approved structure located upon the subject property where the driveway intersects with the Township and/or state and/or private roadway's right-of-way. The building number sign shall not be placed in the right-of-way, unless placed on a preexisting approved structure, but rather on the property upon which the building is located immediately adjacent to the right-of-way. However, if the building or structure is located within 20 feet of the roadway, and the other provisions set forth herein are complied with, the building number sign may be placed conspicuously on the structure itself.
C. 
Sign specifications. The building number sign shall have four-inch-high white reflective numbers with a green reflective background, visible both during the day and night, placed on a six-inch-by-eighteen-inch rectangular sign, which is to be displayed either vertically or horizontally. The sign shall be placed where the driveway to the addressable building intersects with the public or private roadway on the same side of the street as the addressable building, and at a location clearly visible when approaching the driveway from either direction. Building numbers shall be positioned such that snow, leaves, tree branches, shrubs or other such impediments shall not impair the visibility required by this chapter. Building numbers shall also satisfy the following criteria:
(1) 
Numbers shall be four inches in height and spaced in a manner so that the reader can easily read the building number.
[Amended 2-21-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-01]
(2) 
The numbers may be displayed either horizontally or vertically.
(a) 
Horizontal display: The numbers shall be positioned horizontally and correctly read from left to right.
(b) 
Vertical display: The numbers shall be positioned vertically and correctly read from top to bottom.
(3) 
The numbers shall be in reflective white numerals and shall be visible from both directions on the roadway, i.e., the sign must be a two-sided sign.
(4) 
The background shall be reflective green so that the reflective white numbers are more visible.
(5) 
The building number sign shall be easily visible by emergency responders as they approach the subject property and from either direction on the roadway.
(6) 
The height of the building number sign installed as provided herein shall be at least three feet but no greater than six feet from the ground surface.
(7) 
Unless otherwise approved by the Township, the building number sign shall be mounted on one of the following configurations:
(a) 
Mounted on a stand-alone post or pole in a manner approved by the Township.
(b) 
Mounted on the property's U.S. Postal Service mail box, so long as the mailbox is located at the end of the property's driveway and such numbering is not contrary to U.S. Postal Service regulations. No mailbox which is located off premises (i.e., not at the end of the property's driveway) may be used to mount any sign which is substantially similar to the building number signs required herein.
(c) 
Mounted on the building or structure if such is located within 20 feet of the adjacent roadway.
(d) 
Mounted on any other type or kind of approved mounting device in a manner approved by the Township.
(8) 
If the building number sign post and/or mount is knocked down and/or removed and/or otherwise covered by an unforeseen occurrence, the owner of the subject property shall repair and/or reinstall the building number sign within 30 days of the occurrence.
D. 
Covering building number prohibited. It shall be unlawful to cover any building number sign with any other sign, drapery, or other obstruction tending to conceal such building number, and all inaccurate, obsolete, or nonconforming building numbers shall be removed from any property, house, building, or other structure when a new number has been assigned, or when so directed by the designated Township representative.
E. 
Time for numbering buildings. All persons required to number buildings, as set forth herein, shall install the requisite building number signs for existing houses, buildings, or structures within six months of release of the address change notification letters. The owners of new structures, those structures constructed after the effective date of this chapter, shall install a building number sign prior to being issued an occupancy permit.
A. 
Street names and signs.
(1) 
For purposes of this chapter, the term "roadway" shall mean any and all public and/or private roads, streets, lanes, drives, avenue, easements and/or other similar right-of-ways used for vehicular traffic.
(2) 
All roadways within Chestnuthill Township, whether they be publicly dedicated and publicly maintained, publicly dedicated and privately maintained, or private and privately maintained, having two or more addressable buildings located adjacent thereto which have primary access through such roadway, existing prior to the effective date of this chapter or any time in the future, including but not limited to all existing and future mobile home parks, shall apply for and/or be assigned by the Township a designated roadway name that shall be placed on the Township's Official Map or Road Map, if said maps exist, and used to identify the roadway on an approved roadway sign. Assignment of new roadway names shall be in conformity with Article X, § 98-69 of the SALDO.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 98, Subdivision and Land Development.
(3) 
Any such designation of a privately maintained roadway shall not impose any obligation or liability upon the Township for the maintenance, inspection, or improvement of said roadway.
B. 
Street signs specifications. All roadways within Chestnuthill Township, both public and private, shall be properly marked with roadway signs in a manner and form acceptable to the Township and said signs shall comply with the following specifications:
(1) 
The sign and pole on which the sign is mounted shall be made of a material and installed in a manner approved by the Township and shall meet the approved current Township and/or Pennsylvania Department of Transportation standards and specifications for street and/or road signs as set forth within the current edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, as amended (MUTCD).
(2) 
The text of the sign shall be six inches in height, in accordance with MUTCD, as amended, and spaced in a manner so it is identifiable and readable from both sides of the roadway. The sign face shall be eight inches in height exclusive of the border, if any.
(3) 
The text shall be in reflective white letters and/or numbers in accordance with the minimum retro reflectivity requirements of MUTCD.
(4) 
The sign shall be located on a ten-foot tall pole, or otherwise acceptable to the Township and in compliance with the MUTCD.
(5) 
The background of the sign shall be green in color from the reflective text so that the text of the sign is more visible in accordance with MUTCD.
(6) 
The signs shall be mounted at each roadway intersection in accordance with MUTCD.
(7) 
Signs naming the roadways at the intersection shall be installed with their faces parallel to the roadways they name.
(8) 
The sign shall be retro reflective or illuminated to show the same shape and color both day and night.
(9) 
The private road signs shall have a reflective white background and reflective black color letters in order to distinguish private from public roads.
[Amended 2-21-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-01]
(10) 
Abbreviations may be used on street signs (i.e., Rd, St, Blvd, etc.)
C. 
Time for repair. If a private roadway sign is knocked down and/or removed and/or otherwise covered by an unforeseen occurrence, the owner shall cause the repair and/or reinstall the roadway sign within 15 days of the occurrence.
D. 
Time for installing signs. All persons required to install roadway signs, as set forth herein, shall install said signs for existing roadways, both public and private, within six months of release of the address change notification letters. The owners of any new roadways shall procure the official roadway name assignment and complete the requisite sign installation as part of the normal subdivision and land development process. New roadways shall be assigned a name and the requisite sign shall be installed prior to final Township inspection of the roadway construction.
A complete list of public and private street names will be adopted via resolution in conjunction with this chapter and shall be updated via resolution as necessary.
All persons required to number buildings who do not have another duly authorized mailing address, such as a post office box, approved by the United States Postal Service, and who, as a result of the implementation of this chapter, are required to change their mailing address are solely responsible for obtaining and confirming any new mailing address with the United States Postal Service and are solely responsible for notifying any and all other persons and entities of the persons new mailing address. Consistent with the Political Subdivisions Tort Claims Act, Chestnuthill Township, its officers, agents and employees, are not liable for any damages or injury occurring to any person or property resulting from any failure to so notify the United States Postal Service or other persons of the address change or for any other act or omission related to the implementation and enforcement of this chapter.
Any persons, firm or corporation who shall number or attempt to number any house, building, or structure contrary to this chapter or who shall after six months of release of the address change notification letters and within 30 days of notification by the Chestnuthill Township Code Enforcement Officer, fail or neglect to number their building or structure in accordance herewith, or who shall fail to change the number thereof or fail to remove the old number in cases of a number change, and any person or persons who shall alter, deface, remove, or destroy any number or sign required to be displayed by this chapter, or any person or persons, firm or corporation who fails to install the requisite street or road signs required herein and/or attempts to deface and/or remove any such street or road sign, or who shall otherwise violate any of the provisions of this chapter, shall be guilty of a summary offense and upon conviction thereof shall, at the discretion of the Court, be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than $300 for the first offense and not more than $1,000 for the second and all other offenses, the costs of prosecution, and reasonable attorney's fees, and in default of payment thereof, to imprisonment of not more than 30 days. Each day's violation of any of the provisions of this chapter shall constitute a separate offense.