Buildings must have address numbers plainly legible and visible from the street fronting the property.
House numbers are not only convenient for finding addresses but necessary for emergency responders to locate those in need. When responding to an emergency, minutes matter so be sure that fire, ambulance, and police personnel can easily and quickly find your address.
The Montcalm Office of Address Administration is responsible for establishing a county system of assigning addresses to buildings and public utilities requiring addressing to facilitate the locating of buildings in order to protect the public health and safety by enabling a quicker response time by police, fire, ambulance, and other emergency services.
All principal buildings shall be required to display an address number in the manner prescribed in this ordinance.
The resident, occupant, or owner of the property where an address has been assigned 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 numbers shall be displayed at a height of at least three (3) feet above 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 contrasts with the background color of the structure supporting the numbers. When the principal building is located more than one-hundred (100) feet back from the traveled centerline of the road that is named in the address, or the view of the building is obstructed by trees, shrubs, or another building, the address number shall be displayed in one of the following manners:
- Attached to a fixed object located within twenty (20′) feet of the centerline of the driveway and between ten (10′) and twenty (20′) feet back from the edge of the traveled roadway provided that any sign used to comply with this Ordinance must also comply with applicable zoning regulations concerning the location and size of signs.
- On both sides of a mailbox located within twenty (20′) feet of the centerline of the driveway on the same side of the road as the principal building or within ten (10′) feet 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 or newspaper delivery boxes. The use of mailboxes to comply with the address number display requirements of the Ordinance is subject to the regulations of both the post office and the governmental organization which maintains the road.
It is recommended that all Stanton residents take a few moments to install house numbers or examine existing house numbers. Be sure that the numbers are easily read from the street. Consider the following:
- Script numbers or numbers that are spelled out in words may be aesthetically pleasing but are difficult to read quickly from the street.
- Brass or bronze numbers are difficult to see. Use numbers that contrast with the background.
- If the house is located more than 45 feet from the street, the numbers should be displayed on a fence, mailbox, or other appropriate place that will make it visible for approaching vehicles.
- Be sure that the view of the numbers is not obstructed by shrubs, trees, or decorations, such as flags.
- Numbers should be clearly seen when approaching from either side of the house.
If the numbers on your house are not visible or easy to read, it will take emergency personnel longer to reach you. Those extra minutes spent trying to locate a property can mean the difference between life and death, so take the time now to be sure your house numbers are able to be seen from the street to help emergency responders find you faster.
Visit the website to read a complete copy of the Addressing Ordinance. Here is a link to the webpage, http://www.montcalm.us/departments_services/address_administration/index.php.
Property owners found not in compliance of this ordinance could be subject to fines.