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Prior ordinance history includes portions of Ordinances 4/15/78, 4-79, 5/12/79, 3-83, 2/90, 94/5, 2003-07, 2006-11, 2006-12, 2008-02 and 2011-03.
The Township of Hardwick, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 51:27D et seq. and N.J.A.C. 5:23-4.3, hereby relinquishes its jurisdiction of the administration and enforcement of the Uniform Construction Code and hereby transfers jurisdiction for the administration and enforcement of the Uniform Construction Code to the Department of Community Affairs of the State of New Jersey. The transfer of jurisdiction pursuant to this section shall not take effect until the expiration of 120 calendar days from the date a certified copy of this section is forwarded to the Department of Community Affairs or until the Department of Community Affairs shall exercise its jurisdiction to enforce the Uniform Construction Code, whichever is sooner.
The Township of Hardwick shall deliver or make available to the Department of Community Affairs any and all records and files of the municipality necessary for the Department to carry out its function, and the Department is hereby authorized to transfer such records and files to a location designated by the Department.
The intention of this section is to apply retroactively in order to include existing lots and buildings as well as those created after the effective date of this section.
All buildings, including residences and lots of land established within the township shall be subject to being numbered for proper identification, especially for reasons of expedience in response to fire, police and medical emergencies.
The township tax assessor is hereby authorized to file in his office maps of the lots of land established within the township and designate thereon a system of numbering such lots for proper identification.
The assessor is further authorized to assign numbers to buildings erected upon such lots for proper identification.
As standards for such designation and assignment, the assessor shall give due regard to the need for a logical and uniform sequence of assignment along the streets and roads of the township to obtain better identification and convenience for location. Generally, numbering of a street shall begin at its intersection with a more major street and shall be numbered from "one" on the left and "two" on the right.
The property owner shall apply to the township assessor to obtain the number assigned to the owner's building, and upon making such application, the assessor shall issue to the applicant the number assigned to his building.
Thereupon, the property owner shall affix and display either upon the main building, or along the street or road adjacent to the drive-way entrance to the main building, the assigned number in numerical or written (English) fashion.
No number shall be placed upon any building for the purpose of this section, unless said number shall be that number which has been assigned under the authority of this section, and corresponds with the numbers placed upon the maps or records on file with the assessor.
In the absence of application, the township tax assessor is empowered to notify the property owner of the number assigned to his building, and it shall be the obligation of the owner to affix and display the number in accordance herewith and maintain said numbers at all times.
The size of the number required to be affixed and displayed shall be not less than three inches in height and shall be numerical or written (English) style. It shall be placed in a conspicuous location upon the street-facing portion of the main building at a location thereon to provide a clear and legible identification of the building.
Where possible, the number shall be placed so as to be illuminated by existing outside light.
Where a building is so situated so as to prevent the unaided eye from reading the number affixed thereto from the street, the number shall be displayed on an appropriate marker, post or on the mailbox adjacent to the driveway or walkway leading to said building.
A person who shall refuse, fail or neglect to comply with any provisions of this section shall be subject to a penalty, not to exceed fifty ($50.00) dollars upon conviction in the municipal court, having jurisdiction over the Township of Hardwick.
A building/structure located in the Township of Hardwick used or intended for use for residential purposes, upon new construction or a change in occupancy/ownership of any building used or intended for use for residential purposes, shall have a smoke-sensitive alarm device on each level of the structure and outside each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms and located on or near the ceiling in accordance with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard No. 74-1984 for the installation, maintenance and use of household fire warning equipment. The installation of battery operated, smoke-sensitive alarm devices shall be tested and listed by a product certification agency recognized by the fire protection subcode official. This section shall not be enforced, except pursuant to subsection 8-3.2 of this code.
In case of change of owner-ship and/or occupancy or new construction as to any building subject to the requirements set forth in subsection 8-3.1 of the code, no owner shall sell, lease or otherwise permit occupancy for residential purposes of that building without first obtaining from the fire protection subcode official or other designated individual, a certificate evidencing compliance with this section of the code.
Each homeowner and/or developer, where applicable, whose home is covered under the pro-visions of this section will be charged twenty-five ($25.00) dollars for an inspection by the fire protection subcode official or other designated individual leading to the certificate of compliance heretofore mentioned.