TOWN OF RUTLAND

ROAD NAME AND ROAD LOCATION ADDRESSING

ORDINANCE

 

 

SECTION I - PURPOSE

 

In accordance with 24 V.S.A. Chapter 59, Chapter 61, Subchapter 11 and Chapter 117, and 23 V.S.A. Chapter 24, the Board of Selectmen of the Town of Rutland hereby establishes the following ordinance in order to develop a more uniform road naming and road location addressing system throughout the Town of Rutland to enable people to locate roads and addresses and to effectively provide emergency services and deliveries to town citizens

 

This ordinance is hereby designated a CIVIL ordinance and shall be enforced according to 24 V.S.A. Chapter 59 and 23 V.S.A. Chapter 24.

 

 

SECTION II - DEFINITIONS

 

                        Road:                        For purposes of this Ordinance, a "road" is (i) a public road, a state or town highway identified on the latest A.O.T. General Highway Map for the Town of Rutland, or (ii) any non-public road, street, right of way, shared driveway, or other way which provides access to three or more dwellings.

 

                                    Public Road:            A state or town highway identified on the latest A.O.T. General Highway Map for the Town of Rutland.           

 

                        Structure:            For purposes of this Ordinance, a "structure" shall include (i) any dwelling, (ii) any public building, (iii) any place of business, and (iv) any building which the Board of Selectmen or its designee determines should have a separate location number in order to effectively provide emergency services.

 

 

SECTION III - ROAD NAMING

 

A.            Each "road," as defined herein, shall be assigned a name by the Board of Selectmen or its designee.  The Board of Selectmen or its designee may determine that other roads, streets, rights of way, or other ways providing access to a structure, may require a name if necessary to effectively provide emergency services.

 

                        B.            Attached to this Ordinance is a list and map of all current roads and road names in the Town of Rutland and the names of such roads are hereby adopted.  See Attachment A.

 

            Each road not named in Attachment A shall receive a proposed name by resolution of the Board of Selectmen at a regularly scheduled meeting of the Board.  The proposed road names must be separate and distinct from other designated road names in the Town of Rutland and surrounding communities.

 

                        C.            The Board of Selectmen shall add names to Attachment A by following the procedures for adoption and amendment of ordinances as set forth in 24 V.S.A., Chapter 59.

 

            In addition to the statutory provisions, the adoption procedure for new road names under this Ordinance shall include providing notice of the proposed amendment with the proposed road name to all landowners on that road via individual or bulk mailing or by a notice in a newspaper circulating in the municipality.  Within thirty (30) days of the passage of the resolution to amend Attachment A for purposes of naming a road, affected individuals in the Town of Rutland may request the Board of Selectmen to hold a hearing on the proposed Amendment, or may offer written comments to the Board of Selectmen on the proposed Amendment.  Unless the resolution is withdrawn, revoked or amended by the Board of Selectmen, the resolution amending Attachment A shall become effective sixty (60) days after the date of the resolution in accordance with 24 V.S.A. Section 1972.

 

                        D.            The Board of Selectmen may change the names of any road, after a duly-warned public hearing when necessary to promote public welfare and safety.

 

 

SECTION IV - FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

 

                        A.            Prior to the approval of a subdivision by the Planning Commission, the subdivider shall furnish a plan for road naming and road numbering in accordance with this Ordinance to the Planning Commission and Board of Selectmen.  The subdivider shall be responsible for installation of road signs and location numbers prior to the issuance of any permits for construction on any of the subdivided lots.

 

                        B.            Following the adoption of this Ordinance, the written approval of the Board of Selectmen or its designee is required for any proposed road name and location numbers of any new structure for which an Act 250 or highway access permit is required.

                        C.            Where a new or reconstructed structure is not otherwise subject to Section IV B and when the Board of Selectmen or its designee determines that, in order to promote the purposes of this Ordinance, the new or reconstructed structure should be assigned a location number or should have its existing location number changed, the Board of Selectmen or its designee shall provide the owner of structure with a written order of the assignment or amendment of the structure’s location number.  This owner shall comply with Section V of the Ordinance within 60 days of the date of the order unless the order specifically provides a different date by which compliance is due. 

 

 

SECTION V - GENERAL ADDRESSING AND NUMBERING SYSTEM GUIDELINES

 

                        A.            Roads officially named by the Board of Selectmen of the Town of Rutland shall be measured in segments of 5.28 feet (1/1000 of a mile).  Even numbers shall be assigned to the right side of the road and odd numbers to the left as they proceed from the starting point.

 

                        B.            The Board of Selectmen or its designee shall assign each structure, as defined herein, a "location number" based upon its distance (i.e. the number of 5.28 feet segments) from the starting point of the road to the center of the driveway or entrance from the road to the structure, if possible.  The Board of Selectmen or its designee shall have the authority to assign a location number utilizing other physical information regarding the structure, if appropriate and necessary in order to effectively provide emergency services.

 

                        C.            Each of the location numbers for structures must be at least four (4) inches high and at least two (2) inches wide.  Location numbers must be dark in color on a light colored background with no other markings or symbols. 

 

            Numbers must be clearly visible from the road if the location number signs are affixed to the structure.  If the location number affixed to the structure is not clearly visible from the road, the location number shall be affixed on a board or plaque no smaller than 8 inches wide by 4 inches high and such board or plaque affixed to a post, pole, fence or other structure near the driveway entrance so as to be clearly visible from the road during all seasons.

 

            Numbers may only be affixed to a mailbox if there is a single mailbox located at the entrance to the structure from the road and, in such event, the location number shall be on both sides of the mailbox.  If there are multiple mailboxes at a single location or the mailbox is on the opposite side of the road to the entrance to the structure, no location numbers may be placed on the sides of the mailbox and any identifying information shall only be marked on the front of the mailbox facing the road.

            The property owner is responsible for the purchase and installation of location numbers to be installed.

 

                        D.            A multiple dwelling or use structure shall bear one number for each dwelling or use where possible.  If each dwelling or use does not have a separate number, then the Board of Designee or its designee shall determine the appropriate numbering of each dwelling or use so as to provide emergency services effectively. 

 

                        E.            All location numbers shall be maintained so as to maintain clear visibility of the location number.

 

 

SECTION VI - ROAD NAME SIGNS

 

                        A.            The Board of Selectmen, upon adoption of this Ordinance, shall institute a program for the installation and maintenance of municipal and private road name signs in accordance with this Ordinance.  All non-public roads shall also be properly signed.  The cost of initial installation (purchase and installing post and sign) shall be paid by the Town for public roads listed on Attachment A and by the owners/users of existing non-public roads listed on Attachment A.  The owners/users of non-public roads shall be responsible for the maintenance, repair and replacement of such road signs for the non-public roads.  The Town shall be responsible for the maintenance, repair and replacement of roads signs on public roads. 

 

                        B.            All road signs shall conform to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devises for Roads and Highways.

 

                        C.            All road signs shall be maintained so as to maintain clear visibility of the name of the road.

 

 

 

 

SECTION VII - IMPLEMENTATION

 

                        A.            The Town shall ensure, through cooperative efforts with the Post Office, that each property owner is notified of the implementation of this Ordinance. 

 

                        B.            All structure owners shall install their location numbers within sixty (60) days after the adoption of the road name upon which the structure is located.

 

 

SECTION VIII - SEVERABILITY

 

If any portion of this Ordinance and any Amendments made hereto is held unconstitutional or invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remainder of this Ordinance and any Amendments made hereto shall not be affected and shall remain in full force and effect.  If any statute referred to in this Ordinance shall be amended, this Ordinance shall be deemed to refer to such statute as amended.

 

 

SECTION IX - ENFORCEMENT AND REMEDIES

 

                        A.            The designated Enforcement Officer is the Administrative Assistant.

 

                        B.            This Ordinance is designated as a civil ordinance pursuant to 24 V.S.A. Section 1971(b).  This Ordinance shall be enforced through the Traffic and Municipal Ordinance Bureau pursuant to 23 V.S.A. Chapter 24 and 24 V.S.A. Chapter 59, as may be amended from time to time.

 

                        C.            The following civil penalties are hereby imposed for violation of this Ordinance.

 

                                    First violation of the Ordinance                              $  50.00

                                    Second violation of the Ordinance                  $100.00

                                    Third violation of the Ordinance                              $200.00

                                    Fourth and subsequent violation

                                                of the Ordinance                                          $400.00

 

            Each day a violation continues shall constitute a separate violation.

 

            In cases where violations of the Ordinance are brought in the Traffic and Municipal Ordinance Bureau, and where the violation is admitted or not contested, in lieu of the above, the following waiver penalties are imposed.

 

                                    First violation of the Ordinance                              $  25.00

                                    Second violation of the Ordinance                  $  50.00

                                    Third violation of the Ordinance                              $100.00

                                    Fourth and subsequent violation

                                                of the Ordinance                                          $200.00

 

            Each day a violation continues shall constitute a separate violation.

 

                        D.            In addition to any other remedy provided in this Ordinance or available at law or in equity, the Town of Rutland may institute a suit for an injunction to prevent, restrain or abate violations of this Ordinance.