The Town of Oakland is hereby authorized to
assign names to any public or private road or street in the Town which
provides access to three or more occupied or proposed structures or
lots. Said names shall not become effective until such time as they
have been approved by resolution by the Mayor and Town Council of
Oakland and added to the "Town of Oakland Road Name Index." In the
event that roads or streets bear duplicate or confusingly similar
names in the Town, the Mayor and Town Council shall negotiate with
residents along said roads or streets in order to eliminate such duplication
or similarity.
A.
No street or road within the Town shall be assigned
a name on a plat of subdivision or otherwise until such name is registered
with the Clerk's Office at City Hall, approved by resolution of the
Mayor and Town Council of Oakland and added to the "Town of Oakland
Road Name Index." No street or road name currently shown on a plat
of subdivision recorded within the Land Records of Garrett County
or otherwise shall be utilized by a subdivision owner or an owner
of a lot within the subdivision until such name has been registered,
approved and added to the "Town of Oakland Road Name Index"; provided,
however, that this section shall not apply to any road or street presently
constructed and listed on the "Town of Oakland Road Name Index." The
Mayor and Town Council of Oakland shall have the authority to refuse
registration of any road name already in use, confusingly similar
to a name already registered or deemed confusing for purposes of emergency
response.
B.
All new subdivision plats of survey must be registered
with the Clerk's Office at City Hall and the Garrett County Planning
and Land Development Office. This shall include the provision that
all new subdivision roads must be accurately located on the Official
Address Map by the applicant or engineering/surveying company working
on behalf of the applicant. A copy of the Official Address Map in
the vicinity of the proposed subdivision shall be provided for this
purpose at the time of registration for subdivision.[1]
A.
Whenever any house, building or structure shall be
constructed or located after the initial establishment of the uniform
numbering system as provided herein, it shall be the responsibility
of the property owner or his authorized agent to procure the correct
number or numbers for the property and to affix said numbers to said
buildings in accordance with this chapter. This requirement shall
apply to all existing buildings or structures that would be converted
into two or more occupancies. The property owner, or his authorized
agent herein referred to as the applicant, shall be required to secure
an address from the Clerk's Office at City Hall. Application shall
be made on a form supplied by the Clerk's Office, and an approved
address (number and road name) shall be issued no more than 30 working
days after the date a completed application is received. The applicant
shall be required to furnish such measurements in relation to other
properties or intersections as shall be deemed necessary for assignment
of a valid address.[1]
B.
Failure to obtain an approved address from the Clerk's
Office shall result in the withholding of the issuance of final building
permits and the withholding of utility and mail services. These would
include sewer and water services (public or private), electrical service,
postal service and telephone service.
New road names shall not be accepted if it is
found that the name is the same as one that has been adopted with
the "Official Road Name Index." Road names shall be submitted at the
time of a proposed subdivision prior to any construction of the road
and shall be checked against said index. Each road thus named shall
have one and only one name and shall not include numbers and/or hyphens.
Road names shall be short and shall not be similar in spelling or
pronunciation to established roads in the general vicinity.
The Clerk's Office at City Hall shall be responsible
for assigning address numbers for all new structures within the Town.
All new street or road signs and address numbers
erected in the Town of Oakland shall be in conformance with this section
of this chapter.
A.
Road names. All new street or road signs hereafter
erected, including replacement, at the intersection of a state highway
shall be in conformance with the MD State Highway Administration standards
for construction, materials and signs. New street or road signs erected
at the intersection of county roads and at the intersection with private
roads and within all subdivisions shall be in conformance with the
policies for street or road signs of the Garrett County Roads Department.
(1)
The Town will direct the initial placement of road
or street signs at all intersections within the Town that require
road or street names as a result of this chapter. Maintenance or replacement
of said road or street signs along private roads or within existing
private subdivisions shall be the responsibility of the property owners'
association, if one exists, or the property owners who reside along
said road or street.
(2)
The owner or developer of any subdivision or other
development where new roads are to be constructed shall be required
to erect street or road signs in conformity with this chapter at any
and all intersections with existing roads and within the subdivision
or development. Maintenance or replacement shall be the responsibility
of the property owners' association, if one is established, or of
the property owners who reside along the road or street.
B.
Address numbers. A house or building number shall
be assigned to each dwelling or other structure in the Town. The combination
of such numbers and the road or street name shall be the official
address of such dwelling or structure. Such location shall serve as
the official mailing address for postal patrons receiving delivery
service.
(1)
When each house or building has been assigned its
respective address, the owner or his designated occupant or agent
shall place or cause to be placed upon each house or structure controlled
by him the number or numbers assigned under the uniform numbering
system. Such numbers shall be placed on existing structures within
60 days of notification of the assigned address. Such numbers shall
be placed on new structures prior to occupancy. The cost of posting
the address shall be the responsibility of the property owner.
(2)
Street address numbers for residences shall be at
least three inches in height and shall be made of a durable and clearly
visible material. The numbers shall be conspicuously placed on, above,
or at the side of the main entrance so that the number is discernible
from the street. Whenever a residence is more than 75 feet from the
street, or when the entrance is not visible from the street, the number
shall be placed along a walk, driveway, or other suitable location
at a minimum distance of 20 feet from the edge of pavement and at
a minimum of four feet in height so that the address number is discernible
from the street. Street address numbers shall be of a contrasting
color to the background on which they are mounted.
(3)
Street address numbers for commercial and industrial
structures shall be at least four inches in height if located within
75 feet of a roadway or at least 10 inches in height if located greater
than 75 feet from the street. The number shall be placed above or
on the main entrance to the structure when possible. If such number
is not visible from the street, the number shall be placed along a
driveway or on a sign visible from the street at a minimum distance
of 20 feet from the edge of pavement and at a minimum of four feet
in height.
(4)
Apartments and similar complexes assigned a single
building number shall display address numbers on each assigned structure
using numbers having a minimum height of eight inches. Trailer parks
and similar complexes assigned a single building number shall display
the assigned number at the main entranceway using numbers having a
minimum height of eight inches at a minimum of 20 feet from the edge
of pavement and at a minimum of four feet in height. Numbers or letters
for individual apartments, trailers, or units within these complexes
shall be displayed on, above, or to the side of the main doorway of
each apartment, trailer, or unit, and shall be at least three inches
in height.
