Property owners in Wareham will soon be required to place new house numbers on their buildings following a “yes” vote on an amended bylaw at Town Meeting on Tuesday Night.

The article, put forth by Selectman Patrick Tropeano, is designed to help first responders locate homes and businesses more efficiently in emergencies.

“If they can’t find you, they can’t help you,” Tropeano said. “This amendment is about saving lives when seconds count.”

Under the revised bylaw, all property owners must place the number of a building’s address on or near the entrance of said building. The minimum height for this house number is 3 inches and, in order to be visible from the road, number should also be of a contrasting color from the building on which it is placed.

In instances where a building is located off the main road on a private way, the house number should be fixed to a post or similar structure at the entrance of the way.

Each new building in town must also be identified in accordance with this bylaw before occupancy permits can be issued.

Violators of the bylaw will be given 30 days notice to purchase and place an appropriate house number. A first offense will be punishable by a fine of up to $100 and all subsequent offenses will be punishable by a fine of up to $300. The bylaw may be enforced by any Wareham Police Officer or the town Building Commissioner.

Last revised in 2015, the change was widely received as a commonsense solution. Some voters feared however that the penalties for failing to comply with the bylaw were too harsh.

“It doesn’t seem like we should be punishing people for their inabilities,” said resident Irving Russell.

In his argument, Russell cited elderly, disabled and seasonal residents who may not be able to place or purchase proper house numbers right away. 

• “If we could see every single number, we’d get rid of the fine tomorrow,” Tropeano said. “We don’t care about the money, but some people just won’t do it otherwise.”
• During the meeting, a couple residents proposed removing the fines, but ultimately failed.  

“If you take the teeth out of the equation then you just a have warning,” said Wareham Harbormaster Garry Buckminster. “And plenty of people will just ride out those warnings.”

Buckminster added that in one-on-one situations, officers would be able to work property owners to find individual solutions.

The revised bylaw must now be sent to the Attorney General for approval within the next 30 days. The Attorney general has 60 days to approve the bylaw, at which point the new regulations will take effect.