The Village board finds that uniform address signs and the uniform location of such signage serves the health, safety, and welfare of the residents of the village by providing an efficient means for locating properties in the event of a necessary law enforcement, fire, rescue or other emergency response, as well as serving the interests of the traveling public at large.
A. Signs displaying a parcel's official address shall be installed on all improved parcels within the Village. Such address signs shall be obtained through the Village Clerk and shall be installed by the Village or its contractors. Except where the installation at such a location would be impossible or incompatible with the policy underlying uniform address signage, such signs shall be installed in the village’s right-of-way near to the parcel's driveway or other point of access, or at such other location as is designated by the village.
B. At the time of application for a building permit for a new or previously unimproved parcel, the parcel owner shall apply to the Village Clerk for the assignment of a new address to such parcel, if necessary. The Village Clerk shall also collect, in connection with the application for a new address for such parcel, for the actual costs of acquiring and installing a new address sign on such parcel, and an address sign shall thereafter be installed on the new parcel in conformance with the requirements of this Article.
C. All property owners shall maintain the uniform address signs on their properties keeping the signs clear of organic growth, debris, and any other impediments to provide a direct line of sight either way from the street at all times.
D. Within 20 days after a uniform address sign is stolen, destroyed, or materially damaged beyond repair (such determination, when in doubt, to be made by the Public Works Supervisor), the parcel owner shall apply for a replacement address sign with the Village Clerk. The first sign replacement shall be at the Village's expense, with additional sign replacements at the owner's expense. If any landowners refuse to pay for the replacement of their address sign with the exception of the first one, the Village will order it, install it, and the cost will be added to the appropriate homeowner's tax bill as a special charge. If the parcel owner fails to apply for a new sign, or violates any provision of this Chapter, the condition shall be considered as creating a public nuisance, subject to the abatement procedures set forth in Chapter 8 of this Municipal Code.
E. It shall be unlawful for any person to remove, intentionally damage, or intentionally cause to be damaged any uniform address sign installed under this article, or to change the sign installation from the original vertical post/horizontal sign array to any other configuration.
F. Signage for multiple unit buildings shall be placed as follows. Flag house number signs attached to posts for duplexes and triplexes shall be placed with the lowest number on top and in ascending order with highest number on the bottom. In multiple unit buildings, each unit number must be displayed on approved signs on the door to each unit, by the property owner.
G. Compliance Required. The house numbering requirements of this Subsection apply to all living units in the Village of Rochester whether currently existing or created in the future. Living units currently numbered in a manner that is not consistent with the foregoing requirements shall bring the numbering into compliance upon 30 days written notice from the Village Clerk.
(Ord. 2020-03, passed 7-13-2020)