Chapter 4 - BUILDINGS AND BUILDING REGULATIONS

FOOTNOTE(S):

--- (1) --- refcharter or refcross or refstatelaw Cross reference— Fire prevention and protection, Ch. 5; planning, Ch. 10; soil erosion and sedimentation control, Ch. 12; streets and sidewalks, Ch. 13; subdivisions, Ch. 14; trailers and trailer parks, Ch. 16; utilities, Ch. 17; zoning, App. A.

refcharter or refcross or refstatelaw State Law reference— State Building Code, G.L. 1956, § 23-27.3-1 et seq.

ARTICLE I. - IN GENERAL#

Sec. 4-1. - Permit required for moving buildings.#

No building of any kind or description shall be moved over or upon any highway within the town without a permit in writing first having been obtained from the town council. Anyone violating the provisions of this section shall, upon conviction, be punished in accordance with section 1-4.

Comment Text (parent not a footnote)(Ord. of 4-15-65, § 1)

State law reference— Comment Text (parent not a footnote)Moving buildings, G.L. 1956, § 23-27.3-116.0 et seq.

Sec. 4-2. - Numbering of dwelling houses and other buildings.#

(a)

This section is enacted for the purpose of enabling public safety organizations to locate properties when responding to calls and to enable them to make full use of the Rhode Island Emergency Telephone System (911 System).

(b)

Whenever the Town of Scituate shall have assigned numbers to dwelling houses or other buildings or shall have re-numbered them, the owner and/or occupant shall within thirty (30) days after notice affix to such premises figures indicating the numbers assigned.

(c)

Size and location of building numbers. In affixing building numbers, the property owner shall conform with the following specifications:

(1)

Building numbers shall be plain block numerals. Script or written numbers shall not count toward satisfaction of this section.

(2)

All numerals shall be at least three (3) inches in height.

(3)

Numerals shall be of a color contrasting with the color of the background provided by the material to which they are affixed. Owners are encouraged, but not required to use numbers made of reflective material and to illuminate building numbers so as to be easily visible at night.

(4)

If a building is less than one hundred (100) feet from the center line of the street on which it fronts, building numbers shall be located on the front of the building which they identify or on a sign, post, mailbox or other device located between the building and street such that numbers shall be visible and readable from both left and right approach.

(5)

If a building is set back more than one hundred (100) feet from the center line of the street on which it fronts, or if the numerals cannot be read from such center line because of obstruction, the aforesaid numerals shall be affixed to a post, sign, mailbox or other device which shall be located within ten (10) feet of the driveway or walkway entrance to the premises and which shall otherwise conform to the specification herein.

(6)

In general, when affixed, all building numerals shall be positioned not less than four (4) feet nor more than twelve (12) feet from the surface of the ground directly below them. Exception to this provision of this section may be granted by the building inspector in cases where he determines visibility is adequate.

(7)

On a corner lot, the building number shall face the street named in the address.

(d)

Any person violating this section shall be fined not exceeding fifty dollars ($50.00)

Comment Text (parent not a footnote)(Ord. of 1-14-93, §§ 1—4)

Sec. 4-3. - Water wells.#

(a)

Any person, firm or agency intending to construct a new water well or alter an existing well shall register the site location with the town engineer prior to commencing any work. Only one (1) registration per property shall be required; re-registration following re-drilling or secondary well holes is not necessary. Registration for alterations that involve pump, pipe or electrical repairs or replacement only, shall not be required.

(b)

The well registration shall include the following information:

(1)

Name, address and telephone number of the property owner; assessor's plat and lot number.

(2)

Name, address, telephone number and contact person of contractor; contractor's Rhode Island well drillers license number.

(3)

Description/purpose of project activity, including site sketch.

(c)

Upon completion of the well activity, the registrant must submit a copy of any well drillers report log and the results of any water quality testing to the town engineer.

(d)

There shall be a registration fee of ten dollars ($10.00).

(e)

The town engineer shall maintain copies of all well information as registered and make such information publicly available within forty-eight (48) hours upon request.

(f)

The location of all new wells shall be in accordance with the town zoning ordinance and state rules and regulations.

Comment Text (parent not a footnote)(Ord. of 8-14-00(1))

Secs. 4-4—4-50. - Reserved.#

ARTICLE II. - ALARM SYSTEMS#

FOOTNOTE(S):

--- (2) --- REFEDITOR ENDPAGE Editor's note— An ordinance of September 13, 1990, §§ 1—5, did not specifically amend the Code; therefore, inclusion as §§ 4-51—4-55 was at the discretion of the editor. This article shall take effect September 13, 1990.

refcharter or refcross or refstatelaw Cross reference— Fire prevention and protection, Ch. 5; police department, Ch. 11.

Sec. 4-51. - Intent and purpose.#

It is the intent and purpose of this article to provide minimum standards and regulations applicable to users and installers of burglar, fire, hold-up and automatic telephone dialer alarms within the Town of Scituate, to provide penalties for noncompliance, and to encourage the installation of protective alarm systems in all dwellings and commercial structures.

Comment Text (parent not a footnote)(Ord. of 9-13-90, § 1)

Sec. 4-52. - Definitions.#

The following definitions shall apply to this article:

Alarm system means an assembly of equipment and devices (or a single device, such as a solid state unit, which may operate from a 110-volt AC line) arranged to signal the presence of a hazard requiring urgent attention and to which police or fire department personnel are expected to respond. This includes all burglar alarms, fire alarms, hold-up alarms and automatic telephone dialer alarms, but does not include smoke detectors which do not signal outside an alarmed premises or alarm systems on motor vehicles.

Alarm user means any person, firm or corporation on whose premises any alarm system is maintained within the Town of Scituate.

Automatic telephone dialing device refers to an alarm system which automatically sends over regular telephone lines, by direct connection or otherwise, a prerecorded voice message indicating the existence of the emergency situation that the alarm system is designed to detect.

Calendar year. The period commencing January 1 and ending December 31.

False alarm means the activation of an alarm system through mechanical failure, malfunction, improper installation, or the negligence of the owner or lessee of an alarm system or of his employees or agents. "False alarm" does not include alarms caused by hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes or other normally infrequent violent natural conditions or acts of God.

Fire alarm is an alarm system designed to detect fire hazards or emergencies.

Town shall mean the Town of Scituate.

Comment Text (parent not a footnote)(Ord. of 9-13-90, § 2)

Sec. 4-53. - Registration.#

Any person, firm or corporation installing an alarm system other than a fire alarm within the town shall register with the Scituate Police Department at least ten (10) days prior to the installation. Alarm users shall register all unregistered alarms systems except for fire alarms with the Scituate Police Department within sixty (60) days of the effective date of this article or within ten (10) days of installation, whichever date is later.

Any person, firm or corporation installing a fire alarm within the town shall register with the Scituate Fire Department at least ten (10) days prior to the installation. Alarm users shall register all unregistered fire alarms with the Scituate Fire Department within sixty (60) days of the effective date of this article, or within ten (10) days of installation, whichever date is later.

Comment Text (parent not a footnote)(Ord. of 9-13-90, § 3)

Sec. 4-54. - Installation and requirements.#

(a)

No alarm system shall be installed by other than a licensed person or other person meeting the requirements set forth in the building and electrical codes of the State of Rhode Island. No alarm system shall be installed unless an electrical permit to install an alarm system has been obtained from the town building official, or his designated representative as required by the building and electrical codes of the State of Rhode Island.

(b)

Automatic telephone dialing devices in existence as of the effective date of this article shall be programmed to a special telephone number or numbers which are to be designated by the chief of police, within sixty (60) days of the effective date of this article.

(c)

No person, firm or corporation shall install or maintain an automatic telephone dialing device within the town terminating at any number other than the numbers referred to in subsection (b) above after the effective date of this article.

(d)

All alarm systems which sound an audible signal which may be heard outside of the protected premises shall be equipped with a device which shall limit the duration of such audible signal to not more than thirty (30) minutes.

(e)

A maximum of two (2) false alarms per calendar year shall be allowed from any alarm system of any person, firm or corporation. Upon receipt of a third or fourth false alarm during the calendar year, the alarm user shall be assessed a user fee by the chief of police or, in the case of fire alarms, by the fire chief, in the amount of fifty dollars ($50.00). Upon receipt of a fifth false alarm during the calendar year, and for each subsequent false alarm in the calendar year, the alarm user shall be assessed a user fee by the chief of police, or in the case of fire alarms, by the fire chief, in the amount of one hundred dollars ($100.00). Said fee shall be paid to the Scituate Police Department. Alarms originating from any building owned by any federal, state or local government shall be exempt from the user fee requirement. The determination of whether a particular alarm was false shall be made by the chief of police except that with respect to fire alarms, the determination shall be made by the fire chief.

Comment Text (parent not a footnote)(Ord. of 9-13-90, § 4)

Sec. 4-55. - Violations and penalties.#

(a)

Any person, firm or corporation found to be in violation of subsection 4-54(c) of this article shall be fined one hundred dollars ($100.00) for each violation.

(b)

Any person, firm or corporation who shall fail to pay a user fee assessed as provided in subsection 4-54(e) of this article within thirty (30) days of written notice thereof by the town shall be fined one hundred dollars ($100.00). Each day a user fee remains delinquent shall constitute a separate offense.

(c)

Any person, firm or corporation found to be in violation of any other provisions of this article shall be fined fifty dollars ($50.00) for each violation.

Comment Text (parent not a footnote)(Ord. of 9-13-90, § 5)