(A) Authority. The Department of Planning and Land Development is authorized to assign names to any public or private road or street in the county which provides access to 3 or more occupied or proposed structures or lots. The names shall not become effective until such time as they have been approved by resolution by the County Commissioners and added to the Garrett County Road Name Index. In the event that roads or streets bear duplicate or confusingly similar names in the county, the Department of Planning and Land Development shall negotiate with residents along the roads or streets in order to eliminate the duplication or similarity.
(B) Subdivision developments.
(1) No street or road within the county shall be assigned a name on a plat of subdivision or otherwise until the name is registered with the Planning and Land Development Office, approved by resolution of the Board of County Commissioners and added to the Garrett County 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 Garrett County Road Name Index; provided, however, that this section shall not apply to any road or street presently constructed and listed on the Garrett County Road Name Index. The Planning and Land Development Office 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.
(2) All new subdivision plats of survey must be registered with the 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 the subdivision.
(C) Structure developments.
(1) 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 or her authorized agent to procure the correct number or numbers for the property and to affix the numbers to the buildings in accordance with this subchapter. This requirement shall apply to all existing buildings or structures that would be converted into 2 or more occupancies. The property owner or his or her authorized agent, herein referred to as the “applicant,” shall be required to secure an address from the Planning and Land Development Office. Application shall be made on a form supplied by the Planning and Land Development Office and an approved address (number and road name) shall be issued no more than 15 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 required to furnish such measurements in relation of other properties or intersections as shall be deemed necessary for assignment of a valid address.
(2) Failure to obtain an approved address from the Planning and Land Development 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.
(D) Road naming guidelines. 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 1 and only 1 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.
(E) Address assignment. The Planning and Land Development Office shall be responsible for assigning address numbers for all new structures within the county.
(1) For the purpose of assigning address numbers to structures, a zero-starting-point system (mile market) is established along all roads within the county. Numbers will be assigned at the point where the center line of a structure’s driveway intersects the roadway.
(2) There will be 1,000 numbers assigned or reserved for each mile of roadway, 500 even and 500 odd. Accordingly, along each 10.56 feet of road frontage there will be 1 even and 1 odd number assigned or reserved, as the numbers progress from the 0 starting points; even numbers will be on the right side of the road and odd numbers on the left side.
(3) Assignment of numbers along roads prevailing west and east shall begin at the westernmost point of origin and end at the eastern point of termination; for roads prevailing north and south, assignment of numbers shall begin at the southernmost point or origin and end at the northern point of termination.
(4) Dead-end roads and private roads point of origin shall begin at the point they intersect with either a south-north road or a west-east road, since both road types may at some time be extended. Loop roads will retain their prevailing west or south point of origin.
(F) Posting of road names and address numbers. All new street or road signs and address numbers erected in Garrett County shall be in conformance with this section of the Garrett County Address Ordinance.
(1) 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 Maryland 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.
(a) The county will direct the initial placement of road or street signs at all intersections within the county that require road or street names as a result of this subchapter. Maintenance or replacement of the 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 the road or street.
(b) 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 subchapter 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.
(2) Address numbers. A house or building number shall be assigned to each dwelling or other structure in the county. The combination of the numbers and the road or street name shall be the official address of the dwelling or structure. The location shall serve as the official mailing address for postal patrons receiving delivery service.
(a) When each house or building has been assigned its respective address, the owner or his or her designated occupant or agent shall place or cause to be placed upon each house or structure controlled by him or her the number or numbers assigned under the uniform numbering system. The numbers shall be placed on existing structures within 60 days of notification of the assigned address. The numbers shall be placed on new structures prior to occupancy. The cost of posting the address shall be the responsibility of the property owner.
(b) Street address numbers for residences shall be at least 3 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 the pavement and at a minimum of 4 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.
(c) Street address numbers for commercial and industrial structures shall be at least 4 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 the pavement and at a minimum of 4 feet in height.
(d) Apartments and similar complexes assigned a single building number shall display address numbers on each assigned structure using numbers having a minimum height of 8 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 8 inches at a minimum of 20 feet from the edge of the pavement and at a minimum of 4 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 3 inches in height.