Road name, regulatory, warning, and guide signs shall be erected
on all County roads, as shown on the approved signing and marking
plan. These signs shall comply with the current issue of the MUTCD.
A. New subdivisions.
(1) Cost estimates for road signage shall be included on the materials
and construction items cost estimate form and submitted with the signing
and marking plan. This estimate shall include all costs associated
with the acquisition, location, and installation by the permittee.
Costs shall be tabulated using the most current unit price sheet provided
by the Engineering Division at the time of submittal. The approved
estimate and appropriate bonding shall be a part of the public works
agreement submittal for the project.
(2) The permittee shall install the signs prior to base road final approval.
Once the surface road final approval has been granted, the County
shall maintain all road signs installed on public roads.
(3) All private road name signs shall have a blue background with white
letters to illustrate a non-County-maintained road, and a permanent
sign stating the road is not maintained by the County shall be erected.
B. Ornamental signs. The use of ornamental or decorative road signs
is discouraged by this chapter. However, should a community or permittee
elect to install this type of signing, this can be done at their expense,
and the signing shall be limited to road name signage. Size, shape,
color, retro reflectivity, and installation shall conform to the requirements
of the MUTCD. All ornamental signage shall be shown on the sign and
marking plan. The permittee shall submit a license agreement for ornamental
signs in the County right-of-way with the public works agreement.
The signage shall be subject to inspection prior to the base and final
surface road approvals.
Mailboxes placed in the Calvert County right-of-way shall conform
to United States Postal Service regulations and the following standards
set forth by the Calvert County government. All mailboxes in the Calvert
County right-of-way shall meet these standards.
A. Location.
(1) Mailboxes shall be located on the right-hand side of the roadway
in the direction of the delivery route. The mailbox shall be set at
an elevation of 41 inches to 45 inches above ground level per United
States Postal Service specifications. The roadside face of the box
shall be offset a minimum of six to eight inches from the edge of
the shoulder (paved roads), edge of traveled way (gravel roads), or
face of curb.
(2) Where a mailbox is located at an intersecting road, it shall be located
a minimum of 100 feet beyond the center of the intersecting road.
(3) Where a mailbox is located at a driveway entrance, it shall be placed
on the far side of the driveway in the direction of the delivery route.
(4) Where a mailbox is located in a guardrail section, it shall be placed
behind the guardrail, when possible, with the face of the box even
with the back of the rail.
B. Structure.
(1) Mailboxes shall be constructed of light sheet metal, plastic or similar
weight materials in accordance with local United States Postal Service
regulations. Newspaper boxes shall be constructed of light sheet metal
or plastic and shall be placed on the same side of the road as the
mailbox. Newspaper boxes may also be mounted below the mailbox on
the side of the mailbox support.
(2) No more than two mailboxes may be mounted on a support structure.
(3) A single four-by-four-inch square, four-inch diameter wooden post
or a metal post with strength no greater than a two-inch diameter
standard strength steel pipe shall be acceptable as a mailbox support.
The mailbox support shall not be embedded more than 24 inches into
the ground and should safely break away if struck by a vehicle. A
metal post shall not be fitted with an anchor plate, but it may have
an antitwist device that extends no more than 10 inches below the
ground surface.
(4) Mailbox supports shall not be set in concrete.
(5) The post-to-box attachment details should be of sufficient strength
to prevent the box from separating from the post top if a vehicle
strikes the installation.
(6) Mailboxes and supports other than those listed above will not be
allowed on County roads rated over 25 miles per hour. Calvert County
accepts no liability for any physical harm or property damage caused
by any mailbox placed along Calvert County roads.
C. Removal of nonconforming or unsafe mailboxes. Mailbox newspaper boxes
that do not conform to the previously noted requirements will be considered
unsafe. Calvert County will immediately notify the homeowner/business
by mail, who will be granted not less than 24 hours or more than 30
days to remove the unsafe mailbox/newspaper box. If the owner does
not comply, the Calvert County Highway Maintenance Division, at the
owner's expense, shall remove the mailbox/paperbox.
D. Mailboxes damaged by Calvert County Highway Maintenance Division.
(1) Service request for repair or replacement of damaged mailboxes due
to snowplowing, mowing or other operations must be received within
two weeks of maintenance activity on the road in which damage occurred.
Damages are to be reported to the Calvert County Highway Maintenance
Division at 410-535-0905.
(2) Upon calling the Highway Maintenance Division the owner is to report
his or her name, address, phone number and type of damage. A Highway
Maintenance Division employee will inspect the damage to determine
if it was done by an activity performed by the Highway Maintenance
Division. Damage not done by the Highway Maintenance Division or activity
will not be repaired. Calvert County will not be responsible for mailboxes
that are poorly mounted or which have rotted posts. Also the County
will not be held responsible for mailboxes which are damaged due to
weight of heavy snow whereby the snowplow or County vehicle does not
make contact with the mail box.
(3) Depending on weather conditions and work load, it should be noted
that the repair/replacement process may take time. It is suggested
that residents make arrangements with their local Post Office for
mail delivery until the process is completed.
(4) Mailbox damage caused by Highway Maintenance Division maintenance
activities will result in either the repair of the existing mailbox
if feasible, or replacement with a white or black United States Post
Office approved standard mailbox, of the same size damaged, on a four-inch
by four-inch wooden post (if original post is damaged). Two-inch address
numbers will be provided on the mailbox. Custom or ornamental mailboxes
within the road right-of-way are placed at the owner's risk,
those that are damaged by Highway Maintenance Division maintenance
activities will be replaced with a standard mailbox as listed above.
If in-kind replacement is desired, it will be the responsibility of
the owner to replace. Replacement should be done with a standard breakaway
installation as described above.
(5) Paperbox damage should be reported to the servicing company.
E. Incidental damage policy. If any object is placed in the County right-of-way,
it is done so at the person's own risk, as the object may be
damaged in the course of road maintenance operations. Calvert County
government will not be responsible for sand, salt, snow or incidental
damage to turf, driveways, irrigation systems or any landscaping improvements,
including fencing and invisible dog fences, located within the public
rights-of-way or easements. Any related repair will be the responsibility
of the adjacent property owners. The removal of any snow deposits
in driveways and mailbox areas that may result from plowing operations
will be the responsibility of the adjacent property owner.
Monumental entrances may be permitted with the required approval
from Planning and Zoning, where adequate rights-of-way or easements
are provided so as not to pose visual or physical obstructions. Sign
permits shall be obtained as required by the current Calvert County
Zoning Ordinance.