Many Baltimore County homeowners may be required to magnify address numbers on the front of their homes and add numbers to the rear of their homes under a proposal lawmakers said will assist police and fire crews.
Members of the County Council are scheduled Tuesday to discuss a proposal requiring address numbers on the front of all homes to be at least 3 inches tall. The bill also requires numbers anywhere else on the house visible from streets or alleys that provide vehicular access to the rear of the property.
“It?s really just a safety issue,” said Councilman Sam Moxley, a Catonsville Democrat and a sponsor of the bill. “When there is an emergency and an ambulance or firetruck has to get there from the back, they can?t figure out which is which.”
The bill targets town houses and row home communities with alleys, found largely in the Catonsville and Dundalk areas. Similar legislation has been unsuccessfully proposed in the past, lawmakers said, largely because of costs to homeowners.
The proposal is scheduled for a vote Jan. 22, and if approved, would take effect March 7 and be enforced by the county?s fire department. Homeowners who violate the law would be issued written warnings before facing a $100 fine.
Neither the fire nor police department requested the change, but officials from both said they support it. Fire department spokeswoman Elise Armacost said ensuring homes are clearly marked is a “continual issue.”
“It sounds like a reasonable idea,” Armacost said. “Anything we an do to make house numbers more visible is something that is always helpful to fire and emergency medical providers.”
Councilman John Olszewksi Sr., a Dundalk Democrat and the bill?s co-sponsor, said he isn?t sure if the bill has enough votes to pass. He resurrected the bill, which last failed in 1998, after residents complained house numbers aren?t large enough to see from the street, he said.
“I will support it because I want to show my constituents I listen to what they have to say,” Olszewski said. “I take their issues seriously.”
