As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
following definitions:
ADDRESS
Any building, structure, property or location which can be
accessed by a public road or a private road and to which emergency
services may, at any time, need to locate and travel to for the provision
of emergency services.
COUNTY ADDRESSING
A uniform addressing system of buildings or structures and
of road centerlines which are established, maintained and assigned
by the Potter County 911 Department to enhance the automatic location
information system utilized for emergency services.
EMERGENCY SERVICES
All personnel, vehicles and equipment utilized in Potter
County, Pennsylvania, by police or other law enforcement agencies,
fire or rescue departments, ambulances or other medical provider services,
the Potter County 911 Public Safety System.
GOVERNING BODY
Borough Council of Coudersport Borough, Potter County, Pennsylvania.
OWNERS
All persons or entities which have an ownership interest
in real estate on which an address is situated, including, but not
limited to, a fee simple interest, fractional interest, easement,
right-of-way or any other ownership interest which allows such persons
or entities to have any right of control over or provides any duty
to maintain or preserve a private road on said real estate.
PRIVATE ROAD
A road which is not a public road which leads to any address
to which emergency services may be needed. This term shall include,
but not be limited to, all private drives, roadways or easements used
for vehicle access to multiple properties.
PUBLIC ROAD
A road owned or maintained by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
or by Coudersport Borough.
PUBLIC SAFETY SYSTEM
The Potter County 911 Public Safety System operated by the
Potter County Department of Emergency Services designed to improve
the health, safety and welfare of Potter County and its citizens.
ROAD NAME
A name designated by a governing body for any public road
or for any private road.
ROAD NAME SIGN
A sign which identifies to the public the road name designated
by the governing body for any public road or for any private road.
STREET NUMBERS
A number assigned to a building or structure in accordance
with the County addressing system by the 911 Public Safety System
with reference to an adjacent road or street on which the building
or structure is situated. For specific sections of roadways with an
existing addressing system that is approved by Potter County 911 Public
Safety System, the street number shall be the retained street number
in the existing addressing system that was established in conjunction
with the County Addressing Project.
The owners of all buildings or structures to which street numbers
have been assigned shall always prominently display the street number
in accordance with the following standards:
A. Except for such addresses identified below, each address to which
a street number has been assigned shall have a street number visibly
displayed upon the building or structure. The provisions of this section
shall not apply to addresses which are located a distance greater
than 200 feet from the nearest edge of the cartway of the public or
private roadway or upon which signage cannot be attached which would
be readable from the nearest public or private roadway by reason of
natural or manmade obstructions. In all such cases, the owner shall
provide posted street number signage at least 20 feet and not more
than 30 feet from the nearest edge of the cartway of the public or
private roadway. The signage shall have affixed thereon the street
number which has been assigned to the building.
B. The assigned street numbers shall be either affixed directly to the
building or post or displayed on a sign affixed to the building or
post. The street number shall be displayed in such a manner that the
numbers will contrast in color with the background and will be observed
and readable from the nearest public or private roadway. All numbers
shall be in standard Arabic numerals, not less than four inches in
height and not less than one half-inch in width. It is recommended
that the numbers be reflective for greater nighttime visibility.
C. If, for any reason, the street number of a particular address is
not readily identifiable by posted signage along the roadway whether
due to the proximity of multiple buildings with different street numbers
or for any other reason, in such cases, the street number shall also
be affixed to the building or structure as well as posted by the road.
Similarly, if a single building has multiple street numbers or apartment
numbers such as professional buildings or apartments, a building directory
shall be posted at the main entrance of the building.
The owner of all private roads shall, in addition to the other
requirements set forth in this chapter, install a road name sign (if
not installed by the governing body) which identifies the private
road as the private road name adopted by the governing body of the
municipality in which the private road is situated. Said road name
sign shall be placed at the entrance where the private road intersects
with the public roadway in a manner which does not create an obstruction
to visibility of motorists. The road name sign shall meet the Pennsylvania
Department of Transportation regulations for size, placement and shall
be brown with white reflective letters.
It shall be unlawful to cover, conceal, obstruct, destroy, remove,
deface or vandalize any street number or road name sign, installed
or displayed pursuant to and in accordance with the requirements of
this chapter.
Upon determination that the owner of an address has not complied
with the street numbering or road name signage regulations of this
chapter, the governing body, or their designated representative, may
pursue any of the following enforcement remedies:
A. the governing body may provide written notice to the owners of the
address which has not been numbered or located on a private road which
has not been named and posted in accordance with these regulations
of the violation and of the need to comply with this chapter within
45 days.
B. In the event that any person should persist for longer than 45 days
in refusing to comply with these regulations despite notice to do
so, the governing body may issue a written order directing the owners
of the address in violation of this chapter to comply with the applicable
requirements of this chapter. Any person who is aggrieved by any such
order issued pursuant to this chapter may appeal to the governing
body by filing a written notice of appeal to the office of the governing
body within 10 days of the date of the subject order.
C. In the event the owners of the address in violation of this chapter
fail to comply with the order within 10 days or fail to appeal within
10 days, the governing body may then provide the signage, as necessary,
in order to bring the address into compliance. The governing body
may recover the cost of materials and labor for the purchase and installation
of signage from the address owners including reasonable administrative
fees, interest or other charges allowed by law. In the event the owners
of the subject address should fail to pay the loss of such installation
as determined and approved then the governing body may institute proceedings
at law to collect the full cost together with all penalties, interest,
reasonable attorney fees, and other charges against the owners thereof
and collect same as a municipal lien or may take any other action
to collect these sums as may be permitted by law.
Any person who shall be found to have engaged in the prohibited unlawful conduct as set forth in §
114-4 of this chapter or who shall willfully fail to comply with any order to comply with the street numbering regulations or road name regulations as set forth in §
114-5 of this chapter, shall be guilty of a summary offense and shall upon conviction be sentenced to pay a fine of no less than $100 dollars and no more than $300 dollars together with court costs, and upon default in payment of the fine shall be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than 90 days.
The proper officers of the governing body are hereby authorized
to take necessary and proper action to establish, implement and enforce
the standardized system of address street numbering and road name
sign placement as provided for in this chapter and to otherwise comply
with the requirements of the automatic location information needs
of the Potter County Public Safety System.
The Borough Council of Coudersport Borough hereby appoints the
Potter County Department of Emergency Services as its sole agent,
addressing authority and designated representative in connection with:
the naming authority and naming procedures for private roads; the
establishment, maintenance and assignment of road centerline data;
assignment of address numbering direction; assignment of road ranges
and the assignment of address increments. This will allow the County
to better implement the next generation addressing standards (NG 911)
uniformly across the County. The governing body of the Borough/Township
shall retain road naming authority for all public roads which it maintains
and shall retain the enforcement authority for any signage of 911
house numbers and the enforcement authority for private road name
signs once assigned. The governing body grants all authority necessary
for the implementation and enforcement of this chapter. The governing
body also grants to the Potter County Department of Emergency Services
the authority to act on behalf of and in the name of the governing
body and authorizes and directs the Potter County Department of Emergency
Services to take any and all necessary and proper actions to establish
and to fully implement this chapter.
The provisions of this chapter shall become effective five days
after enactment.
Should any section, part or provision of this chapter be declared
by appropriate authority to be unlawful or unconstitutional, all other
terms, conditions, provisions and parts hereof, and of any Code of
which this chapter may be or may be considered to be part, shall continue
in full force and effect as if the provision declared to be unlawful
or unconstitutional had been omitted as of the date of the final enactment
hereof.
All ordinances and parts of ordinances inconsistent herewith
are hereby repealed.