[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors (now Board
of Commissioners) of the Township of Pocono 6-18-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-2. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Pocono
Township E-911 Street and Building Number Sign Ordinance."
This chapter is adopted pursuant to the provisions of the Pennsylvania
First Class Township Code, Act of June 24, 1931 (P.L. 1206, No. 331),
as amended; 53 P.S. § 55101 et seq., for the proper management,
care and control of the Township and for the health and welfare of
the Township and its citizens; to require and regulate the numbering
of buildings; to secure the safety of persons or property within the
Township; for ensuring that fire and emergency medical services are
provided within the Township by the means and to the extent determined
by the Township; and to provide for and regulate the naming of streets,
roads and highways.
The purpose of this chapter is to enhance public safety and
security, and generally protect the public health, safety and welfare
by improving the ability of emergency response personnel to navigate
and locate dwellings and other structures in the Township, and to
enhance the convenience of the general public. This chapter:
A.
Provides the authority to the Board to provide for, regulate and
assign street names to all public and private streets in the Township
to eliminate duplication and prevent confusion;
B.
Requires conformance to the street addressing system established
by Monroe County, Pennsylvania, for 911 emergency call system; and
C.
Establishes a uniform system for street name and building number
signs/address markers.
A.
Street names required. All public and private streets, driveways
and access streets in the Township which serve two or more principal
structures shall be named and posted with a street name sign in accordance
with this chapter.
B.
Street name assignment. The Board of Commissioners shall have the
sole authority to provide for, regulate and assign to all streets,
roads and highways in the Township, and to change such names if deemed
necessary to achieve the purposes of this chapter. In the case of
new subdivisions and land developments, the street names shall be
included on the plans submitted to the Township for review.
C.
Street name duplication. No street, road or highway name sign shall
be posted on any public or private street, road, highway, driveway
or access street unless the Township has approved such name in order
to avoid duplication of names.
All street addresses in the Township shall conform to the street
addressing system established by Monroe County, Pennsylvania, for
the 911 emergency call system, and all occupied structures shall have
a building number sign/address marker conforming to the requirements
of this chapter.
A.
Responsibility for street name signs installation. The Township shall
obtain and install all street, road and highway name signs, unless
the Board specifically directs otherwise. The Township shall have
no responsibility for the installation, maintenance or replacement
of street name signs on private roads that do not intersect with a
Township or state road. With respect to private roads that do intersect
with a Township or state road, the Township shall make a one-time
installation of the street name signs. Subsequent to the initial installation
of the street name signs on private roads that intersect with a Township
or state road, the Township shall not have any further responsibility
to install, maintain or replace such street name signs.
B.
Responsibility for building number signs/address markers installation:
(1)
Subject to the provisions of § 371-6B(6) of this chapter, all principal structures in the Township shall have a building number sign/address marker containing the address assigned by Monroe County, Pennsylvania, for the 911 emergency call system.
(2)
Building numbers/address markers shall be depicted in Arabic numerals
or alphabet letters, a minimum of four inches high, with a minimum
stroke width of 0.5 inch, and of contrasting color.
(3)
All building number sign/address marker blades shall be six inches
by 18 inches in size.
(4)
The property owner shall remove all obstructions (including snow)
to permit the building number sign/address marker to be visible from
the street, road or highway on which it fronts, for a distance of
not less than 50 feet from the building number sign/address marker,
in both directions.
(5)
Except as otherwise specifically provided in § 371-6B(6) of this chapter, building number signs/address markers shall be mounted:
(a)
On a stand-alone post or pole or other comparable type of mounting
device.
(b)
Horizontally or vertically.
(c)
Setting forth the building number/address marker and no other
information.
(d)
So that the top of the building number sign/address marker is
located between four feet and six feet above the ground elevation
where the sign/marker is mounted.
(e)
So that it is clearly visible from the street, road or highway
on which it fronts.
(6)
Building number signs/address markers for grouped dwellings and nonresidential
facilities:
(a)
Apartments, townhouses, cluster dwellings, shopping centers, resorts and other similar structure groupings where only one building number/address marker is assigned shall display such sign/marker where the main entrance to the property intersects with the street, road or highway on which it fronts, in accordance with the requirements of § 371-6B(5) of this chapter.
(b)
Building numbers/address markers for individual units or establishments
within a complex shall be displayed on, above or immediately to the
side of the main doorway of each unit or establishment.
(7)
Each property owner shall purchase/obtain for the owner's respective
property building number signs/address markers that conform to the
requirements of this chapter. The Pocono Township Volunteer Fire Company
will have building number signs/address markers available for purchase.
A.
All street name signs installed, placed, replaced, modified or maintained
after the effective date of this chapter shall conform to the requirements
of this chapter.
B.
All building number signs shall be installed/replaced in compliance
with this chapter not more than 120 days after the effective date
of this chapter.
C.
The property owner shall promptly repair and/or replace any damaged
or missing building number signs/address markers.
A.
The Board of Commissioners may grant a modification of the requirements
of one or more provisions of this chapter if literal compliance will
result in undue hardship or be unreasonable as it is applied to a
particular property, or if the property owner establishes to the satisfaction
of the Board of Commissioners that an alternative proposal will allow
for equal or better results, provided such modification will not be
contrary to the public interest and fulfills the purpose and intent
of this chapter. In granting any requested modification, the Board
of Commissioners may impose such conditions as will, in its judgment,
secure substantially the objectives of the standards and requirements
of this chapter.
B.
All requests for modification shall be made in writing, shall be
signed by the property owner requesting the same, and shall include:
(1)
The specific provision(s) of this chapter with respect to which a
modification is requested.
(2)
The specific modification/proposed alternative desired, including
a depiction of the proposed alternative.
(3)
The requesting property owner's justification for the modification,
including the full basis and facts of the alleged unreasonableness
or undue hardship, and an explanation of how the requested modification
is the minimum modification necessary to achieve the purposes and
objectives of this chapter.
C.
The Board of Commissioners shall maintain a written record of the
action taken on all requests for modification.
This chapter shall be enforced by action before a Magisterial
District Judge in the same manner provided for the enforcement of
summary offenses under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure.
In the event of noncompliance, the appropriate officers or agents
of the Township are hereby authorized to install the building number
sign/address marker on the property of the noncompliant property owner
and charge all costs related to the installation to the property owner.
Any person, partnership, corporation or other entity who or which
violates or permits a violation of the provisions of this chapter
shall, upon conviction in a summary proceeding, reimburse the Township
all costs incurred by the Township in connection with installation
of the building number sign/address marker, pay a fine of not more
than $1,000, plus the costs of prosecution, and, in default of the
payment of the fine and costs of prosecution, shall be imprisoned
for a period not exceeding 30 days. All fines, penalties, costs and
reasonable attorney fees collected for the violation of this chapter
shall be paid to the Township for its general use.
