This chapter shall be known as the "Springfield Township Home and Business Numbering Ordinance."
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of Springfield 7-2-1997 by Ord. No. 1997-03. Amendments noted where applicable.]
Henceforth, it shall be the responsibility of every property owner of a residence or business property to maintain street numbering signs on their premises or about their premises in a manner and in accordance with the requirements of this chapter.
The Township hereby is authorized to name unnamed streets located in the Township by resolution and to require numbering of dwellings and places of businesses along such newly named roadways.
Street numbers specifically identifying dwelling units and places of business throughout Springfield Township shall be assigned by the Springfield Township Board of Supervisors or its duly authorized designee, who shall keep and maintain records of all numbers assigned pursuant to this chapter.
A.
The owner or owners of any dwelling or place of business to which a street number has been assigned by the Township will be notified, in writing, by the Township Secretary of the number assigned to such dwelling or place of business.
B.
Within 60 days of the date of mailing of the notice by the Township to the owner or owners of such dwelling or place of business to which a street number has been assigned, the owner or owners shall affix street number signs at the location and in a size and manner as set forth in § 301-6 of this chapter.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
A.
Building number sign.
(1)
In the event a dwelling or place of business is located less than 75 feet from the center line of a public roadway, the owner or owners shall affix a numbering sign with Arabic numbers at least four inches high with a minimum stroke width of 0.5 inch and contrasting color on the front of the dwelling or place of business at such a location as to be readily visible from the public and/or private roadway.
B.
All dwellings or places of business which are located 75 feet or more from the center line of the public and/or private roadway along which the property is located shall be required to erect a freestanding street-numbering sign in a conspicuous location near to the juncture of the driveway providing vehicular access to such dwelling and/or place of business and the public and/or private roadway, in such a location and manner as to not cause a hazard to operators of adjoining roadways. Such numbering sign shall be in Arabic numbers at least four inches in height with a minimum stroke width of 0.5 inch and contrasting color, and shall be visible from traffic proceeding in either direction, and shall be located on a pole of not less than two feet nor more than three feet in height above the ground.
(1)
In lieu of posting a sign on a pole, the sign may be affixed to a mailbox if that mailbox is on the same side of the roadway as the dwelling and/or place of business and if the mailbox is readily visible to vehicular traffic proceeding in either direction in front of the dwelling house and/or place of business. The mailbox shall be posted with a number as hereinabove set forth on each side of said mailbox or by a number of the size herein enumerated located atop the mailbox.
(2)
Minor deviations of these requirements may be authorized by the Township Board of Supervisors upon a showing of hardship to the applicant and no detriment to the municipality and the general health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Springfield Township.
(3)
A request for said deviation shall be presented to the Board of Supervisors at a regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors, which will grant said deviation only if it is established that the strict enforcement of this chapter would create a hardship. What constitutes a hardship shall be determined in accordance with the criteria set forth in Chapter 500, Zoning, of the Code of Springfield Township for the grant of a variance, and where it will be established that there will be no detriment to the health, safety and welfare of the community to grant such deviation.
In the case of a new dwelling or business constructed after the effective date of this chapter, or a new business proposed to be opened after the effective date of this chapter in an existing facility, no certificate of use and occupancy shall be issued until the numbers have been assigned such dwelling or place of business by the Township and such numbers have been posted and displayed in accordance with the requirements of this chapter.
Any numbering signs which are destroyed or otherwise removed for any reason shall be replaced within 30 days following such destruction and/or removal. Failure to do so may result in legal enforcement proceedings being instituted by the Township in accordance with this chapter and the powers granted to the Township by virtue of the Second Class Township Code.[1]
A.
The Springfield Township Board of Supervisors shall have the authority, by resolution, to assign names to private roadways which provide access to more than one family or business.
B.
The Township Secretary shall notify all such property owners of the adoption of a street name by the Board of Supervisors and the necessity for numbering the properties along said street.
C.
The Township shall, at its own expense, erect a street sign at the intersection of said private road with each public road or street. In the event that such street sign is damaged, destroyed or otherwise removed, it shall be the responsibility of the owners of that private road, within 30 days after the disappearance, removal or destruction of that sign, to replace the sign, which shall be available from the Township and which shall be at the property owner's expense, payable in advance. All such signs shall be white letters on blue aluminum blank. All property owners along the private road shall be jointly and severally and equally responsible for compliance with this requirements and replacement of any signs which are their responsibility. In the event that sign is damaged as a result of a motor vehicle accident or for weather-related reasons, then the Township shall replace that sign at its own expense.
Any owner, which shall include any person, partnership or corporation, who shall violate any provisions of this chapter shall be subject to penalties as set forth in § 301-11 of this chapter. Prior to imposing penalties, the Township shall send, or cause to be sent by the Township Secretary or a duly appointed designee of the Township, a written warning advising the owner of the requirements of the chapter and the penalties for failure to comply, giving the owner 30 days from the date of the notice to bring his or her or its property into compliance.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
Any person who violates or permits a violation of this chapter shall, upon conviction in a summary proceeding brought before a Magisterial District Judge under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, be guilty of a summary offense and shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000, plus costs of prosecution. In default of payment thereof, the defendant may be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 90 days. Each day or portion thereof that such violation continues or is permitted to continue shall constitute a separate offense, and each section of this chapter that is violated shall also constitute a separate offense.
This chapter shall be effective five days after its enactment, and enforcement of this chapter shall commence no sooner than 60 days following the enactment.
If any sentence, clause, section or part of this chapter is found to be unconstitutional, illegal or invalid, such unconstitutionality, illegality or invalidity shall not affect or impair any of the remaining provisions, sentences, clauses, sections, or parts of this chapter.