[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of Grant County 6-16-2015 by Ord. No. 68; amended in its entirety 10-3-2017. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Vehicles and traffic — See Ch. 267.
These regulations are adopted under the authority granted by
§ 59.54(4) and (4m), Wis. Stats., Public Protection and
Safety.
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§ 59.54, Wis Stats.
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(4)
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Rural naming or numbering system. The board may establish a
rural naming or numbering system in towns for the purpose of aiding
in fire protection, emergency services, and civil defense, and appropriate
and expend money therefor, under which:
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(a)
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Each rural road, home, business, farm or other establishment,
may be assigned a name or number.
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(b)
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The names or numbers may be displayed on uniform signs posted
on rural roads and intersections, and at each home, business, farm
or other establishment.
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(4m)
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Rural naming or numbering system; town cooperation. The rural
naming or numbering system under sub. (4) may be carried out in cooperation
with any town or towns in the county.
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A.
The purpose of this chapter is to establish and maintain a consistent
rural address number and road name system within the unincorporated
areas of Grant County, Wisconsin. The intent in establishing an addressing
system is to assign each location a unique address which will aid
emergency services as well as being a convenience for delivery of
services and citizenry.
B.
It is further intended that this chapter is to establish a method
by which address numbers are assigned, as well as how address signs
are obtained, installed, and maintained, in all unincorporated areas
in Grant County. It is further intended to provide for review and
acceptance of all private and public road names in order to ensure
compatibility with the County's computer-aided dispatch system.
The jurisdiction of this chapter shall include all lands and
waters within Grant County outside the limits of incorporated cities
and villages.
It is not intended by this chapter to repeal, abrogate, annul,
impair, or interfere with any existing ordinances, rules, or regulations
adopted by Grant County. However, wherever this chapter imposes greater
restrictions, the provisions of this chapter shall govern.
If any section, clause, provision, or portion of this chapter
is adjudged unconstitutional or invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction,
the remainder of this chapter shall not be affected thereby.
This chapter shall be known as, referred to, or cited as the
"Grant County Address and Road Name Ordinance."
This chapter shall be effective after adoption by the County
Board of Supervisors and shall take effect the date of adoption.
It shall be the duty of the Grant County Sheriff's office
or their designee to assign an address number to all property within
the jurisdiction of this chapter. All homes, businesses, farms, structures
for human habitation, multifamily dwellings and other establishments
shall have an assigned address. The following standards shall apply
when assigning addresses:
A.
An address number shall be assigned upon the issuance of the first
land use permit allowing construction on said property, or with the
written request of a property owner or Town Board.
B.
Address numbers will not be assigned to vacant land unless a permanent
structure is to be constructed or placed on the vacant property within
a time agreed upon by both the township having jurisdiction and the
Grant County Sheriff's office. Property with only a movable structure
will not have an address assigned.
C.
A "permanent structure" is defined for this chapter as a structure
that is permanently attached to a slab, footing, or pilings or has
permanent electrical utilities provided by an electric company.
D.
Upon issuance of an address, the Grant County Sheriff's office
will notify the affected property owner and the town in which the
property is located of the official address.
E.
The address assigned by the Grant County Sheriff's office shall
be the official address for said property and replace any prior address
used.
F.
There shall be no duplication of address numbers assigned along the
same road.
G.
Properties with more than one single-family residence shall have
a separate address for each residence.
H.
Industrial or business complexes shall be assigned one address number
with extensions given for individual units.
I.
Multifamily dwellings of more than two units shall be assigned one
address number with extensions assigned for each unit. Multifamily
dwellings shall have distinct markings adjacent to the door to identify
the individual unit.
J.
Numbers shall be assigned according to where the access driveway
intersects the public road along a grid system extending from the
southeast corner of Grant County with numbers increasing to the north
and west, starting with fire number 100.
K.
In the case where the private driveway intersects a public or private
road in another county or in a city or village, the number shall be
agreed upon by both jurisdictions with deference to the jurisdiction
providing emergency services.
L.
There shall be 400 numbers assigned for every mile of the grid, with
even/odd numbers assigned as follows:
An address sign for a property shall be placed by the town in
which the property is located according to the following standards:
A.
The sign shall be installed so that the numbers are perpendicular
to the public road, and the post shall be located not more than 10
feet within the right-of-way of the road and not more than 10 feet
from the driveway serving the building.
B.
The sign shall not be less than 3 1/2 feet nor more than 4 1/2
feet from ground level and shall not be concealed from view from the
road by trees, shrubs, bushes, etc.
C.
In cases where more than one property is served by a common private
access, an address sign for each property shall be placed as described
in this section.
D.
The town may propose an alternate placement option for an address
sign so as to make it best visible for local responding emergency
services and so as not to obstruct road maintenance responsibilities,
such as snowplowing, grading, etc. The town shall notify the Grant
County Sheriff's office of the new location of the address sign
and the reason for the alternate location. The sign may be placed
after review and approval by the Grant County Sheriff's office
or their designee.
E.
Multifamily dwellings shall have distinct markings on the door or
doorway to identify the individual units.
F.
Any manufactured/mobile home park or campground shall consecutively
number the lots. A map of the property showing the lots shall be given
to the Grant County Sheriff's office to be used for mapping.
Any changes or addition of lots shall require that a new map be sent
to the Grant County Sheriff's office.
G.
Any relocation of an address or road name sign must be done with
the consent of the affected town and in compliance with the provisions
of this chapter.
A.
All address signs shall be of a size, shape and design so as to comply
with the standards established by the County Board resolution. All
posts and fastening hardware shall meet with the approval of the Grant
County Sheriff's office.
B.
Address signs shall include the township name, address and road name.
C.
All address signs shall be procured by the towns based upon a vendor
or vendors chosen by the towns.
D.
When either damaged, destroyed or aged beyond usefulness, an existing
address sign may be requested for replacement by the affected property
owner, the town in which the sign is located or the Grant County Sheriff's
office. If an emergency response agency feels a replacement sign is
needed, they shall contact the town the address is located in to have
a new sign ordered. The affected town may then choose to pay the fee
and seek reimbursement from the affected property owner. When it is
unclear as to whether a sign needs replacement, the town shall make
the final decision.
A.
It shall be the responsibility of the property owner to maintain
all address signs for his/her property. Maintenance includes notifying
the town of the need for replacement or repairs.
B.
The property owner is responsible for reinstallation and keeping
the sign(s) in a physical condition whereby the address is easily
and clearly legible at any time. The property owner shall also ensure
the sign is clearly visible from the public road and not obscured
by vegetation, structures, snow, etc.
A.
Addresses which exist at the time of the adoption of this chapter
but do not meet all the provisions of this chapter may be allowed
to remain the official address for said property if they are registered
at the Grant County Sheriff's office as an official address.
If it is determined that there is potential risk to life and safety,
an existing number shall be changed in order to comply with the provisions
of this chapter. Any such address not listed on the index shall be
deemed void, and an official address shall be assigned by the Grant
County Sheriff's office.
B.
In all cases, when an existing nonconforming address sign needs replacement,
a new address number shall be assigned and a sign obtained in compliance
with the provisions of this chapter, and the original existing address
shall become null and void. Any existing address sign that is not
a valid sign shall be removed.
A.
All proposed public and private road names, whether new or proposed
as a change in name, shall be subject to approval by the Grant County
Sheriff's office for compatibility with the County's computer-aided
dispatch system and geographic information system (GIS). Duplicate
and like-sounding names shall be prohibited.
B.
No town shall accept any new public road or rename an existing public
road without first having the proposed name accepted by the Grant
County Sheriff's office.
C.
Road name signs shall meet the standards established by County Board
resolution. Said signs shall be installed and maintained by the affected
town.
A.
There shall be created the Grant County Road Name and Address Map.
This map shows the official road names and addresses as accepted under
the provisions of this chapter.
B.
Any address number or road name not shown on this map and its associated
database shall not be considered official and may be considered in
violation of the provisions of this chapter.
A.
It shall be the duty of the Grant County Sheriff's office to
enforce the provisions of this chapter, investigate complaints, and
give notice of violations. Said office shall have the power to issue
a written order to correct any violation of this chapter that shall
specify the following:
B.
If the owner does not comply with a written order from the Grant
County Sheriff's office, the owner shall be subject to one or
more of the following penalties:
C.
Examples of violations may include, but are not limited to:
(1)
The placement of a nonofficial address sign or road name sign at
or near the location of the official signs.
(2)
The placement of any sign that resembles the official address or
road sign in form, shape, color or design.
(3)
The destruction, removal, or vandalism of an official address or
road name sign.
(4)
The unapproved relocation of an official address or road name sign.
