[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Council of the Town of Bar
Harbor 10-15-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-12. Amendments noted where applicable.]
This chapter will henceforth be known as the "Addressing Ordinance."
The purpose of this chapter is to establish an official street
numbering method for the Town of Bar Harbor that will provide an actual
physical location in conformity with an address and to enhance the
efficiency and effective rapid location of structures by law enforcement,
fire, rescue, emergency, medical and other public safety services
personnel in the municipality of Bar Harbor as part of the state Enhanced
9-1-1 (E911) response service program.
This chapter is adopted pursuant to and consistent with Municipal
Home Rule as provided for in Article VIII, Part Second, Section 1
of the Constitution of the State of Maine and Maine Revised Statutes,
Title 30-A, Part 2, Subpart 4, Chapter 141 (30-A M.R.S.A. § 3001
et seq.).
A.
The
Town Manager shall designate an Addressing Officer(s), who shall have
the authorization to initiate, assign, correct, maintain and provide
all required addressing information within the boundary lines of the
Town of Bar Harbor, in accordance with the criteria set forth in this
chapter, to the state agency responsible for database management and
implementation of Enhanced 9-1-1 emergency response services.
B.
All
structures requiring an address shall bear a distinctive address,
known as its physical address, that shall be the official address
used for property identification for Town records (Master Address
Table) as maintained in the Town of Bar Harbor Assessing Department.
The Addressing Officer or their designee shall be responsible for
updating and maintaining these official records and shall provide
information regarding these records upon request.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
The designated individual appointed by the Town Manager who
has the authority to administer the criteria set forth in this chapter.
A paved or unpaved surface providing access into a property
from a public or private street or travel way.
The location at which street numbering begins; ascending
away from the direction in which the closest emergency responders
would approach.
A permanent, unique address that clearly identifies where
a property is physically located using number and street naming guidelines
set forth in this chapter.
A private way which affords the principal means of access
to property(ies), which is not dedicated for acceptance as a public
street and is maintained or intended to be privately maintained and
remain privately owned.
Any parcel of land on which a more or less occupied and permanent
structure has been erected or could be erected.
A public way which affords the principal means of access
to abutting properties and accepted or intended to be accepted and
maintained by Town, state or federal authority until such a time which
the street is no longer accepted as such.
Identification assigned to a dwelling unit in addition to
the primary physical address e.g., Unit 101 or Garage Apt.).
Any form of principal means of access to abutting properties.
A.
Street
names shall be assigned by the Addressing Officer for the Town of
Bar Harbor in accordance with criteria set forth in this chapter.
B.
A
road name assigned by the municipality shall not constitute or imply
acceptance of the road as a public street.
C.
Any
travel way that serves two or more structures may be named regardless
of whether the ownership is public or private.
D.
Any
lengthy travel way or driveway servicing only one structure may be
named if the potential exists to erect additional structures along
that way.
E.
The
following criteria shall govern the naming system:
(1)
No two travel ways shall be given the substantively same name (e.g.,
Pine Road and Pine Lane).
(2)
No two travel ways shall have similar-sounding names (e.g., Beech
Street and Beach Street).
(3)
Travel way names shall not contain numbers, punctuation or profanity.
(4)
Each travel way should have the same name throughout its entire length.
F.
Property
owners may request that a street name be changed by having all property
owners abutting that street, as determined by the Addressing Officer,
sign an affidavit requesting that change. The requested name shall
meet all the requirements of this section.
A.
Street
numbers for all structures shall be assigned by the Addressing Officer
in accordance with criteria set forth in this chapter.
B.
The
following criteria shall govern the numbering system:
(1)
Numbers shall be assigned at every fifty-foot interval along both
sides of the road (with even numbers appearing on the left side of
the road and odd numbers appearing on the right side of the road)
ascending in numerical sequence from the numbering origin.
(2)
The number assigned to each structure shall be that of the numbered
interval falling closest to the front door of the main structure.
If the front door cannot be seen from the main road at all times of
the year, the number will be that of the interval falling closest
to the intersection of the travel way and driveway of said structure.
(3)
There shall be no fractional addresses (e.g., 34 1/2 Ash Street),
alphanumeric address numbers (e.g.,123A Main Street), nor hyphenated
address numbers (e.g., 41-656 Bell Street).
(4)
Dead-end roads. Numbering shall originate at the location of the
intersecting road and terminate at the dead end.
(5)
Circular roads. Numbering shall begin at the point where emergency responders are most likely to enter the road so numbers will ascend as responders search for a location. The outside of the circle is numbered first, based on standard numbering interval criteria listed in § 5-7B(1) and (2). The inside is then numbered to coincide spatially with the outside, resulting, in some cases, in fewer numbers on the inside, with some gaps in the numbering sequence.
(6)
Corner lots shall be numbered according to the location where the
front door faces the road. However, when the front door is obscured
or if the structure is more likely or best reached for emergency purposes
by the driveway, the structure shall be numbered according to where
the driveway falls on the road.
(7)
Culs-de-sac. Those without buildings in the center portion shall
be numbered as if the center line of the street bisects the cul-de-sac
with odd numbers on the right and even numbers on the left. The numbers
shall meet at the far end of the center area.
C.
Every
structure or property with more than one principal use or occupancy
shall be assigned a distinctive address for each use or occupancy
as defined in this section.
(1)
Apartment building. The main structure shall be assigned a primary physical address based on standard numbering interval criteria listed in § 5-7B(1) and (2).
(a)
Individual dwelling units contained within a multi-unit structure.
In addition to the primary structure physical address assignment,
each unit shall be assigned a secondary location indicator containing
three-digit numbers (not letters). Unit numbers shall begin with the
number of the corresponding floor in which the unit is located, followed
by a two-digit number (beginning with 01) indicating which side of
the structure the unit is located, with even numbers for left and
odd numbers for right (e.g., Unit 101 or 102). Double zero shall not
be used (e.g., Unit 100 or 200). Unit numbers should ascend away from
primary approach to the structure (e.g., Unit 104 to the rear, behind
102).
(2)
Duplexes, triplexes, multi-unit, condominium(s). Individual dwelling units shall be assigned a physical address based on standard numbering interval criteria listed in § 5-7B(1) and (2) or § 5-7C(1)(a), depending on configuration of individual dwelling units.
(4)
Other structures not identified as a dwelling units may require a physical address for purposes of identifying their its location, if the Addressing Officer so determines. These include but are not limited to emergency call boxes, pay phones, comfort stations, storage buildings, and telecommunication towers. These structures shall be assigned a physical address based on the standard numbering interval criteria listed in § 5-7B(1) and (2).
A.
All
street name signs shall be constructed of extruded aluminum blades
and made of materials which are reflective, and erected on steel posts
under the direction of the Public Works Director or their respective
designees (unless otherwise stated in this chapter).
B.
Public
street signs shall be green in color with white lettering.
C.
Private
street signs shall be blue in color with white lettering along with
the abbreviation "PVT" appearing after the street name on the sign.
D.
All
street signs and posts are to be installed and maintained by the Public
Works Director or their respective designees and considered the property
of the Town of Bar Harbor.
E.
No
person(s) shall erect a street name sign in such a manner as to confuse
the proper location or proper name of any street or travel way as
designated by the Addressing Officer.
F.
No
person(s) shall remove or cause to be removed or otherwise alter the
location or hinder the visibility of any street sign.
G.
All
street name signs within the boundaries of Acadia National Park shall
be constructed, erected and maintained under the guidelines set forth
by the National Park Service or its governing entity.
H.
All
street name signs within the boundaries of a privately owned and maintained
facility containing multiple travel ways, such as a multibuilding
hotel complex, campus setting or campground, shall be erected and
maintained by the owner of such property. Street signs may be constructed
of materials consistent with other signage throughout the property,
provided they are consistent within the boundaries of the property
and easily visible at all times.
A.
All
premises shall bear a distinctive assigned number in accordance with
the criteria set forth in this chapter.
B.
Grandfathering.
Those structures previously addressed prior to the effective date
of this chapter are hereby grandfathered, provided they are addressed
and identified in such a manner as to not prohibit the efficiency
and effectiveness of an emergency response to that location.
C.
Numbering
of structure or residence. Where the residence or structure is within
50 feet of the edge of the road right-of-way, the assigned number
shall be displayed on the front of the residence or structure in the
vicinity of the front door or approaching entry. Numbers shall be
of a color that contrasts with the building or background color to
which they are attached and shall be affixed no less than three feet
above ground level at the road and be a minimum of three inches in
height or otherwise readily visible from the edge of the road right-of-way
to the structure or residence in both travel directions, at all times
of the year, in all weather conditions.
(1)
Every structure or property with more than one principal use or occupancy
shall also display its assigned secondary location indicator at the
primary entrance to each, in accordance with this chapter.
D.
Numbering
of structure or residence not visible from road. Where the residence
or structure is over 50 feet from the edge of the road right-of-way
or not visible from the accessway or driveway entrance at all times
of the year, the assigned number shall also be displayed in a clear
manner on a post, fence, wall, tree, mailbox, or other object, located
adjacent (same side) to the accessway or driveway entrance, and shall
be of a color that contrasts with background color to which it's
attached and readily visible from the edge of the road right-of-way
in both travel directions, at all times of the year, in all weather
conditions.
E.
No
person shall affix or allow to be affixed a different number than
the one designated by the Addressing Officer or considered grandfathered
in accordance with this chapter.
F.
It
shall be the duty of the owner of a premises, upon affixing the assigned
number, to remove any different number that might be mistaken for
or confused with the number assigned in conformity with this chapter.
G.
Interior
locations. All occupants of a dwelling unit are requested to post
the assigned physical address (e.g., 123 Main Street or 56 Cottage
Street, Apt. 202) next to each landline telephone or at another other
easily noticed location for emergency reference.
It shall be the duty of each property owner to comply with this chapter. Failure to comply with the guidelines set forth in this chapter is not subject to § 1-18, General penalty; however, it may result in a delay of emergency response when time is of the essence.
