Town of North Beach, MD Chapter 43 Buildings, Numbering of

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Town Council of the Town of North Beach as Art. XIII of the 1982 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]

GENERAL REFERENCES

Construction standards — See Ch. 49.

§ 43-1 Purpose and authority.

A. The purpose of this chapter is to establish a system for the numbering of houses in the Town of North Beach, thus eliminating the confusion and potential hazards to public safety which might otherwise exist.

B. This chapter is based on the statutory authority contained in Article 66B, Code of Public General Laws of Maryland, May, 1971, as amended.

§ 43-2 Application and territorial limits.

This chapter shall apply to all the lands, properties, buildings and other structures within the municipal limits of the Town of North Beach.

§ 43-3 Definitions.

Unless the context otherwise specifies, the following definitions shall be used in the interpretation of this chapter, and the present tense shall be construed to include the future, the singular to include the plural, and the plural the singular.

COMMISSION

The North Beach Planning Commission.

DRIVEWAY

A private access road, drive or land to an individual residence which is contained within the lot or parcel and is not intended to serve any other lot or parcel of land.

GRID ADDRESS NUMBERING SYSTEM

The mathematical computation of mailing address hundred blocks based on Calvert County Map, scale, 600 feet to the inch.

HOUSE NUMBER

The mailing address digital number and street name assigned to any structure or parcel of land.

PARCEL OF LAND

Any lot, parcel dock, pier or wharf used to identify the site where a dwelling or place of business and/or storage is to be erected, located or situated.

PRIVATE ROAD

Any privately owned recorded right-of-way.

PROJECT STREET

Any non-dedicated right-of-way used within an apartment, commercial, industrial, trailer or mobile home park complex along which house numbers are assigned.

PROPERTY

A building, structure or parcel of land or the combination of any of the above.

ROAD

A public or private right-of-way to include street, avenues, drives, circles, highways, and other similar terms, but not alleys.

STREET DIRECTION

The direction any street or road travels the longest in distance.

TOWN

The Town of North Beach, Maryland.

§ 43-4 Grid address numbering system.

A. General. The Commission will effect and retain a uniform systematic house numbering system throughout the Town which will promote continuity, avoid duplications and eliminate house renumbering. This system will be established and known as the "Grid Address Numbering System."

B. Continuity of house number hundred blocks will be maintained when streets enter the town from the county.

C. Street directions. When a street runs diagonally to the cardinal points of the compass, the house number hundred block will be assigned on the basis of the greatest distance the street runs along the north/south or east/west axis. If travel along either axis is equidistant, the house number hundred block will be determined by the direction of the majority of other streets in the immediate area.

D. On a street which changes direction, the house number hundred block assigned will be in the direction the street runs the longest distance. As it changes directions, the hundred blocks can be extended along those portions by the use of additional digits until it returns to its original direction.

E. On a one-intersection circular street, the house number hundred block will be determined by the direction of the majority of other streets in the immediate area.

F. Criteria for determining house numbers. To reduce the frequency of errors, duplications and renumbering, the following principles of house numbering procedures will be followed to the degree possible:

(1) When it is apparent that re-subdividing may take place due to lot sizes on the same street side, a sufficient quantity of house numbers should be reserved for the vacant areas between structures to permit assignment of numbers for any future development or improvement thereon.

(2) Assignment of odd and even numbers. In determining which side of a right-of-way should have an odd or even house number, the following guide will be used: In the north area, odd numbers will be assigned on the east side of streets running south, and in the south area, odd numbers will be assigned on the east side of the streets running south; in the east area, odd numbers will be assigned on the south side of streets running east, and in the west area, on the north side of streets running west. In other words, when moving away from the zero grid, odd numbers will be on the right side and even numbers on the left side. (Based on the system devised for Calvert County.)[1]

[1] Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).

(3) Structures facing each other on the opposite side of the same street should be assigned numbers in relation to each other. That is: 6 facing 5 or 7; 5 facing 4 or 6; and in the instance where a structure fronts off the inside curvature of a street and faces more than one structure fronting off the outside curvature of same street; 6 between 5 and 7; or 7 between 6 and 8. This will also apply when there are more structures on one side of the street than the opposite side due to variances of lot sizes.

(4) Suffixes such as "A" or "1/2" to house number digits will not be permitted. However, when a single-entrance structure has more than one floor comprising other offices or places of business, suite or room numbers may be added either before or after the house number assigned to that structure. Example: "Suite 1, 1111 Planner Drive;" or 1111 Planner Drive, Room 201. This will also apply to a basement used in the same manner. In the case of a single entrance place of business with apartments overhead or alongside, letters or numbers may be used either before or after the house number assigned to that structure. Example: "Apartment 2, 2222 Planner Drive;" or "2222 Planner Drive, Apartment 2."

(5) When a development consists of structures which have more than one level below or above ground and the quantity of stores, offices or multiple dwellings will cause a duplication of hundred blocks already in existence and adjacent to the development, the floor level may be used either before or after the house number to identify the store, office or multiple dwelling. Example: "Basement Level, 3333 Planner Place," or "3333 Planner Place, Basement Level." Other levels could be referred to as Main Level, 2nd Level, 3rd Level, etc.

(6) Structures with multiple entrances shall be assigned house numbers for each separate entrance. This will also apply to bays in a warehouse. When a large, single-entrance warehouse is erected, located or situated on a parcel of land, a sufficient quantity of house numbers should be reserved between other structures on the same street for possible partitioning into additional bays for which house numbers may be required. Rear entrances will not be numbered as long as the front or main entrance to the same place of business, bay or apartment has been assigned a house number.

(7) Each store in a shopping center will be assigned its own house number. However, a sufficient quantity of house numbers will be reserved for each store or office in excess of two-foot widths to permit future assignment of house numbers if any of the stores or offices therein are partitioned to establish other places of business.

(8) Structures on parcels of land fronting on more than one street will be assigned a number along that street which the front door or main entrance faces. However, a house number should be reserved along each street on which the parcel faces to provide for the assignment changes or additions to the structure thereon. In those instances when it cannot be determined which street the front door or main entrance to a structure faces, it will be numbered along that street to the side property lines. When the distances from the projections of the structure are equidistant from side property lines, the house number will be assigned off the longest and most predominant street in the subdivision.

(9) To avoid confusion and misdelivery by postal and delivery service personnel, every effort will be made to assign a separate hundred block for a cul-de-sac or any similar type right-of-way bearing the identical surname of the intersecting street. Example: If Bay Court runs in an easterly direction off Bay Road which is numbered as a street running west to east, Bay Court will be assigned a north to south or south to north hundred block.

G. Assignment of house numbers. Where practical, each structure erected, located or situated on a parcel of land in the Town will be assigned a house number by the Commission based on the Grid Address Numbering System.

H. Any house number assigned by the Commission will be the only number which may be used by the owner or occupant, and any willful disregard thereof, or intentional use of a number other than that assigned, will be deemed to be a misdemeanor.

I. The two major sources from which information is received for assignment of new house numbers are the subdivision record plats and building permits.

J. Other sources from which information may be received for assignment of house numbers are property owners, local post offices and utility companies. Normally, the information received from these sources are in those areas where box numbers are used and where house numbers were not previously assigned.

K. Notification of assignments of house numbers. The owner or occupant of a structure erected, located or situated on a parcel of land for which a house number has been assigned will be notified by one or all of the methods or offices listed below:

(1) Building permit.

(2) Subdivision record plat.

(3) Notice of house number assignment.

(4) Personal visit to the Commission (application for assignment of number).

(5) Personal letter.

(6) Public notice appearing in local newspapers.

L. Public utilities and interested federal, state, county and town agencies will also be advised of house numbers on a need-to-know basis. Cooperation and coordination with these offices will be maintained by whatever means are agreed upon by the Commission and office involved. Access to maps, records and other documents used to record this information will be made available upon written, telephonic or personal request. However, no original map, record or document will be removed from the premises of the Commission unless so directed by a Court Order or appropriate authority.

M. In addition to the property owner or occupant and the offices enumerated above, developers, builders, electricians, and plumbers, and engineering, real estate and mortgage firms may be given this information upon submission of a record plat, or site plan, showing legal descriptions of property for a particular house number in which they are interested.

N. Changes to existing house numbers. The Commission will change house numbers whenever errors in assignment are discovered. The most common errors in the assignment of house numbers are listed below:

(1) Duplications.

(2) Odd and even numbers on wrong side of street.

(3) Lettered or fractional suffixes added to digits.

(4) Digital transposition.

(5) Lower digital sequence number positioned above a higher number.

(6) Interspersions of hundred block.

(7) Use of a house number off wrong street.

(8) Use of one or more street names only, with no reference to digital number.

(9) Use of building names only, such as "The Berkely House," "The Oyster House," etc.

O. The Commission will make changes of house numbers in those areas of the town which do not conform to the Grid Address Numbering System. The following procedures will be followed to the degree possible, consistent with good judgment and common sense:

(1) Conduct a street by street survey of house number hundred blocks. Where house number changes are necessary, they will be made to coincide with any street name changes which have to be made in that area.

(2) Where practical, extensions to existing subdivisions which do not conform to the Grid Address Numbering System will be assigned house numbers within the Grid Address Numbering System, and the older, nonconforming sections will be renumbered.

(3) New subdivisions adjacent to or in the immediate vicinity of existing subdivisions will be assigned house numbers within the Grid Address Numbering System, and the other nonconforming areas nearby will be renumbered.

(4) When renumbering house numbers on a street, the last two digits of current house number will be retained whenever practicable.

(5) Whenever numerous changes are to be made in an area, careful consideration will be given to the most appropriate time to make the changes, i.e.:

(a) Prior to March 31 of each year to coincide with individuals' and businesses' requirements to register automotive vehicles;

(b) After June 15 to preclude local school officials from having to change student records during school year;

(c) After January 1 to prevent adding to the holiday burden on the local post office; and

(d) Changes should not be effected from August 17 through September 25 and from October 5 through November 11 of every even year during which periods voter registration books are closed during an election year.

P. Whenever a house number is to be changed, an official notification of each proposed change will be mailed to the occupant and/or owner of property being renumbered, indicating new number; legal description or Tax Assessors parcel identification of property; effective date of proposed change; and a listing of the federal, state, county and town agencies and utilities which will be informed by the Commission.

Q. Owners and/or occupants of structures on streets scheduled only for renumbering will be afforded sufficient time for them to make necessary adjustments. Current postal regulations require delivery of mail to the old address number for a period of two years. Accordingly, the following guidelines will be used for determining lapses of time between receipt of official notice and the effective date of the proposed change: see § 43-5B.

§ 43-5 Numbering of building and violations.

A. Display of house numbers. All buildings in North Beach must displayed, in letters not less than three inches high and visible to the street, the four-digit number of their house or building.

B. Change of numbers. When numbers are changed by the Commission, they shall be changed on the house within 90 days after notice of the change has been given by the town.

C. Violations. Anyone not displaying such house numbers within 90 days of the effective date of this chapter or within 90 days after a change notice is guilty of a municipal infraction, punishable as provided in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article III, Penalties.[1]

[1] Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).

§ 43-6 Administration.

A. Separability. It is hereby declared to be the legislative intent that if a court of competent jurisdiction declares any provision of these regulations to be invalid, or ineffective in whole or in part, the effect of such decision shall be limited to those provisions which are expressly stated in the decision to be invalid or ineffective, and all other provisions of these regulations shall continue to be separately and fully effective.

B. Changes and amendments:

(1) These regulations may from time to time be amended or repealed by the Town Council. Any person or officer, department, board, commission or bureau of the town may petition for such change or amendment; however, no such change or amendment shall become effective until after a public hearing in relation thereto, at which parties in interest and citizens shall have an opportunity to be heard.

(2) At least 15 days' notice of the time and place of such hearing shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the town. The Town Council shall, prior to any public hearing, refer all proposed changes and amendments to these regulations to the Planning Commission for report and recommendations.