[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Council of the Town of North Branford 2-7-1995 by Ord. No. 181. Amendments noted where applicable.]
The purpose of this chapter is to promote public safety and convenience through proper posting of street signs on public and private roadways, along with a building numbering system ensuring that addresses can be identified with the ease and speed essential to the quick response of emergency services, such as fire fighting, police and emergency medical care.
A. 
It shall be the policy of the Town Council to have street name signs of public highways posted at each intersection where the street name is likely to be unknown to responding emergency personnel.
B. 
Street signs on private roads shall be erected and maintained by the legally-recognized private owner of the association. Where no such owner or association exists, residents of private roads may request that the town install a street sign. Such signs shall be erected at the owner's or association's expense.
C. 
It shall be the duty of the owners of all residential, commercial and other buildings to identify such buildings, or parts thereof, with numbers, as herein provided.
A. 
The Planning and Zoning Commission shall assign to each building, or part of a building, an identification number by which such building, or part thereof, shall be designated. The Commission shall be authorized to change the identification number of any building, or part thereof, at any time whenever such change is deemed necessary or appropriate.
B. 
It shall be the duty of the owner of every building existing on the effective date of this chapter, without prior notice, to affix the identification number assigned to such building by the Planning and Zoning Department. Such numbers shall be affixed within 60 days of the Town Council’s adoption of any amendments or revisions to this chapter.
[Amended 2-7-2017 by Ord. No. 250]
C. 
All new buildings on any street or highway within the Town of North Branford shall have affixed thereto identification numbers assigned hereunder within 30 days of the issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
A. 
The identification number of a building shall be located on the exterior front of the building and on both sides of a post or mailbox between the building and the public or private street on which it fronts. Such number shall not be less than three inches in height and shall be visible from the street to which such number relates and shall be located on the top, bottom or side of the main entrance of the building facing such street. The identification number shall be so placed as to assure clear visibility from the public or private street on which the building fronts. The identification number affixed to the post or mailbox shall not be less than three inches in height and be reflective.
[Amended 2-7-2017 by Ord. No. 250]
B. 
If a building is set back more than 100 feet from the center line of the street on which it fronts or if the building’s identification number is not clearly visible from such street, the identification number shall also be affixed to both sides of a post or mailbox located at the driveway entrance which provides the closest vehicular access to the building, or part of the building, to which the identification number has been assigned. The identification number affixed to the post or mailbox shall not be less than three inches in height and be reflective. In the cases of common driveways serving multiple residences, in addition to the reflective numbers/letters required at the street, reflective numbers/letters, not less than three inches in height, as well as reflective directional arrows at each branch of the common driveway shall be required.
[Amended 2-7-2017 by Ord. No. 250]
C. 
For buildings containing two or more residential, business or commercial units which have entrances from interior passageways, identification numbers shall be affixed on or adjacent to every exterior door of the building, as well as on or next to the entrance door of each individual unit.
D. 
For building complexes consisting of two or more residential, business and/or commercial building units served by separate driveways, signs shall be posted at the entrance to each such driveway listing the identification number of the unit served by that driveway. The identification numbers affixed to the signage shall not be less than three inches in height and be reflective, and will contain directional arrows, also in reflective material. In addition, identification numbers shall be affixed on or next to every entrance door of each unit.
[Amended 2-7-2017 by Ord. No. 250]
E. 
Street name signs shall be placed near enough to the intersection of the street, roadway, etc., to be visible to emergency service personnel, but not so close to the roadway so as to pose a traffic hazard and to be consistent throughout the Town of North Branford, in accordance with the Town Engineer's specifications. Any sign identifying a private road shall have two-inch letters "PVT" on the right side of the sign.
Any person, firm or corporation who violates this chapter shall be sent a notice by the Town Manager regarding compliance with the chapter. Failure to comply within 30 days of this written notice shall make said person, firm or corporation subject to a fine of $50.
This chapter shall be effective 30 days after publication hereof, pursuant to § C4-6 of the Charter of the Town of North Branford. The Town Manager, at his or her discretion, may grandfather any sign that meets the spirit of this chapter.