[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.
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.
This chapter shall apply to all the lands, properties, buildings and
other structures within the municipal limits of the Town of North Beach.
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.
The North Beach Planning Commission.
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.
The mathematical computation of mailing address hundred blocks based
on Calvert County Map, scale, 600 feet to the inch.
The mailing address digital number and street name assigned to any
structure or 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.
Any privately owned recorded right-of-way.
Any non-dedicated right-of-way used within an apartment, commercial,
industrial, trailer or mobile home park complex along which house numbers
are assigned.
A building, structure or parcel of land or the combination of any
of the above.
A public or private right-of-way to include street, avenues, drives,
circles, highways, and other similar terms, but not alleys.
The direction any street or road travels the longest in distance.
The Town of North Beach, Maryland.
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]
(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:
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.
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.
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.