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WATERTOWN CHARTER TOWNSHIP
CLINTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN
ORDINANCE NUMBER 20
ADDRESS ORDINANCE
At a regular meeting of the Township Board of the Charter Township of Watertown, Clinton County, Michigan, duly called and held on the 20th day of January, 1992, there were present:
Supervisor McKeon, Clerk Rathbun, Treasurer Mallison, Trustees Gorman, Miller, Porterfield and McNeil.
The following Ordinance was offered by Rathbun and supported by Mallison and the second reading was held.
ORDINANCE NO. 20 – ADDRESS ORDINANCE
AN ORDINANCE to establish an accurate building numbering system fundamental to the effective administration of the enhanced 9-1-1 Central Dispatch System. This ordinance is enacted pursuant to Section 11 of Michigan Public Act 156 of 1851, as amended, being Michigan Compiled Law 46.11.
Watertown Charter Township, Clinton County, Michigan hereby ordains:
ARTICLE I – PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION
SECTION I. PURPOSE.
The purpose of the Address Ordinance is to establish a township system of assigning addresses to buildings in order to protect the public health and safety by enabling a quicker response time by police, fire, ambulance, and other emergency services; and to provide for the more efficient delivery of township services such as building inspections, soil evaluations, property tax administration, property mapping, and other township affairs; and to provide for efficient parcel delivery, and U.S. mail delivery in Watertown Charter Township by:
A. Creating a formal building numbering system with standards and regulations for assigning addresses on public and private roads.
B. Providing for notification of interested parties of assigned address numbers.
C. Coordinating this ordinance with other township ordinances.
D. Providing minimum standards and regulations for display of addresses.
E. Providing for the creation of a master record of addresses along with other information necessary to locate buildings on the property.
F. Providing for the enforcement of this ordinance.
SECTION II – ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE
The Township Supervisor’s Office shall have overall administrative and coordination responsibility to administer and enforce this Ordinance. In the event the Township Supervisor appoints an Assessor to carry out the administration of the property tax administration function, the Assessor will carry the duty on behalf of the Township Supervisor.
ARTICLE II – ADDRESS NUMBERING
SECTION III – APPROVAL OFFICE
The Township Supervisor or Assessor shall have overall jurisdiction over address numbers and shall insure that an address number does not duplicate the number for any building considered to be along the same road.
SECTION IV – RURAL ADDRESS NUMBERING SYSTEM
The rural address numbering system which is structured as follows shall generally be used except with other existing municipal systems are more appropriate as determined by the Township Supervisor or Assessor.
1. Address number shall be evenly spaced, 1,000 per mile, so that when following northerly – southerly road one reaches address number 1,000 when arriving at the next section line north or south. Such address numbers shall continue in the same manner by 1,000 whole numbers for each section of the township.
a. Numbers shall begin at 11000 on northerly – southerly road intersecting with Cutler Road.
b. Numbers shall end at 16999 on northerly – southerly roads intersecting with Eaton Highway or the southern most portion of the township.
2. Address number shall be evenly spaced, 1,000 per mile, so that when following an easterly – westerly road one reaches address 1,000 when arriving at the next section line of east or west. Such address numbers shall continue in the same manner by 1,000 whole numbers for each section of the township.
a. Numbers shall begin at 4000 on easterly-westerly roads intersecting with Airport Road.
b. Numbers shall end at 9999 on easterly-westerly roads intersecting with Bauer Road or the western most portion of the township.
3. Even numbers shall be on the westerly and northerly sides of roads, odd numbers shall be on the southerly and easterly sides of the road.
4. Roads which are not aligned due north-south or meander shall be numbered as a north-south if the major portion of the road within Watertown Charter Township runs north-south. Once a north-south road has address numbers assigned to buildings then that road shall always be considered to be a north-south road.
5. Roads which are not traveling due east-west or meander shall be numbered as an east-west road if the major portion of the road within Watertown Charter Township runs east-west. Once an east-west road has address numbers assigned to buildings then that road shall always be considered to be an east-west road.
6. Address numbers shall be assigned so they run consecutively so that numbers are not out of sequence.
7. Upon determination of the Township Supervisor or Assessor, address numbers in common use prior to the adoption of this Address Ordinance may continue to be used if:
a. The existing address numbers run consecutively in the same direction as the township address system for that side of the road.
b. The system is definable and can be administered and maintain for future construction of buildings.
8. Other county or municipal numbering systems shall be used in place of the above rural system upon approval of the Township Supervisor or Assessor, provided that only one numbering system shall be used for both sides of a defined road segment.
9. This system shall be applied to all addresses on public roads and on private roads which have been legally established in Watertown Charter Township.
SECTION V – CHANGING ADDRESS NUMBERS
It shall be the policy of this ordinance to discourage the practice of changing existing addresses or address numbers which are already in use except:
1. If the existing address number is not in sequence and/or does not run consecutively in the same direction as the township address system.
2. If the existing number is such that the assignment of address numbers for new buildings is not practical and in keeping with the requirements of this ordinance.
3. When a new road is constructed, or recognized, which results in the most appropriate address for a building to be on the new road rather than the original road such as where a building was previously located on an extended drive which subsequently become a private road.
4. When an address is duplicate or otherwise violates this ordinance.
SECTION VI – NOTICE AND ENFORCEMENT
The Township Supervisor or Assessor is responsible for insuring that the proper notice and enforcement procedures are followed.
1. When a person applies for a Development Permit the Township Supervisor or Assessor shall assign an address and provide the applicant:
a. The building’s address number.
b. The road prefix (if any).
c. The road name.
2. When a person’s address is changed pursuant to this ordinance the Township Supervisor or Assessor shall notify the resident and owner, if different, on a form that contains the following:
a. The old address
b. The new address
c. The reason for the change
d. The effective date of the change
3. In cases where an existing address is changed, the Township Supervisor or Assessor shall send a written notice to the affected resident. Said notice shall explain the reason for the address change.
If the resident has not property displayed the new number on completion of 90 days the Township Supervisor or Assessor shall send by registered mail to the resident and/or owner of the property a notice of violation of this ordinance.
A notice of violation shall state the amount of time, which shall not exceed 60 days, during which the resident and/or owner must comply with the ordinance.
If the violation remains at the end of the prescribed period or time, the Township Supervisor or Assessor shall either issue an appearance ticket to the resident and/or owner of the property or seek a criminal warrant through the Clinton County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
SECTION VII – MASTER ADDRESS FILE
The Township Supervisor or Assessor shall keep a master file of assigned addresses and corresponding property code numbers.
SECTION VIII – DISPLAY OF ADDRESS
All principle buildings shall be required to display an address number in the manner prescribed in this ordinance.
The resident, occupant, or owner of a building shall display the address number in such a manner as will be plainly visible and legible from a vehicle traveling on the road that is named in the address. The address number shall be displayed at a height of at least two (2’) feet above the grade and not higher than six (6’) feet above grade. All numbers shall be Arabic numerals of at least three (3”) inches in height (or larger) and of a color that contrast with the background color of the structure supporting the numbers. When a building is located more than one-hundred (100’) feet back from the traveling centerline of the road that is named in the address, or the view of building is obstructed by trees, shrubs, or another building, the address number shall be displayed in one of the following manners:
1. On a sign or attached to a fence, tree, or post located within forty (40’) feet of centerline of the driveway and between ten (10’) and thirty (30’) feet back from the edge of the traveled roadway provided that any sign used to comply with this Address Ordinance must also comply with applicable zoning regulations concerning the location and size of sign.
2. On both sides of a mailbox located within forty (40’) feet of the centerline of the driveway on the same side of the road as the principle building or within twenty (20’) of the extended centerline of the driveway on the opposite side of the road provided that the view of both sides of the mailbox is not obstructed by other mailboxes to comply with the address number display requirements of this Address Ordinance is subject to the regulations of both the post office and the Clinton County Road Commission.
ARTICLE IV – PENALTIES AND EFFECTIVE DATE
SECTION IX – PENALTIES
It is a misdemeanor for any person to violate any provision of this Address Ordinance, and, upon conviction, shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $500.00 or imprisonment for ninety (90) days or both.
No Development Permit shall be issued by the Zoning Administrator for a site which has failed to properly display the address number as assigned in accordance with this Address Ordinance. The only exception would allow a Development Permit to be issued for new development on a vacant parcel. In this instance, a Certificate of Zoning Compliance shall not be issued until the site is found to be in compliance with this Ordinance.
SECTION X – EFFECTIVE DATE
This ordinance shall be effective thirty (30) days after publication in a newspaper of general circulation in Watertown Charter Township.
ARTICLE V – APPEALS
SECTION XI – APPEALS HEARINGS OFFICER
The Watertown Charter Township shall appoint annually a Hearings Officer to hear petitions for relief from administrative actions taken by the Township Supervisor or Assessor pursuant to the authority granted by the Address Ordinance. The Hearings Officer shall not be an employee of the Township’s Supervisor’s Office or Assessor’s Office.
SECTION XII – APPEALS OF ADMINISTRATIVE DECISIONS
The Hearing Office shall have the power to affirm, reverse or modify the decision of the Township Supervisor or Assessor after conducting a hearing at which the aggrieved party or parties and the Township Supervisor or Assessor are permitted to testify. Finds of fact shall be made on the record of the hearing. When a findings of fact support a conclusion that an error in fact has occurred, the Hearings Officer may reverse the decision of the Township Supervisor or Assessor with instructions for corrective action. When the findings of fact support a decision that action of the Township Supervisor or Assessor has created an unnecessary hardship, the Hearings Officer may allow an extension of time not exceed twelve (12) months to comply with the administrative order of the Township Supervisor’s Office or Assessor’s Office.
CERTIFICATION
The foregoing ordinance was duly adopted and passed by the Township Board of the Charter Township of Watertown, Clinton County, Michigan, on the 20th day of January, 1992, by unanimous roll call vote.