House numbers, Dudley

by Chief Steven J. Wojnar
Dudley Police Department

The requirement for house numbering was the topic of a recent discussion.  The person wished to know what house numbering requirements, if any, does Dudley have?  This was a good opportunity to provide some information to residents to insure their properties can be identified in the event of an emergency.

Article 37 of the Town of Dudley By-laws is entitled “Street Numbering.”  According to this regulation, “Street numbers shall be attached to each dwelling, business, industry and other buildings, which are not accessory in nature in the Town of Dudley.”  There are several requirements to be in compliance with this section. “The numbers shall be made of permanent, weatherproof materials, shall be numeric Arabic numbers at least (3) three inches in height in a contrasting color, and shall be clearly visible from the public way upon which the structure fronts.”  If the building is not visible from the roadway, the number is to be posted “on a suitable support at the entrance to the driveway that services such structure.”  This can include a mailbox.  The exact number of the property location will be assigned by the Town of Dudley Assessor’s Office.   Any property owner who fails to comply with this bylaw is subject to a fine of not more than Twenty-Five Dollars ($25.00) per day for each offense. Each day can be treated as a separate offense.

A by-law of this nature is not designed to be punitive.  It is primarily for public safety officials who must quickly identify locations in the event of an emergency.  When a critical situation occurs, time is of the essence.  It is crucial to have the appropriate personnel and equipment respond as quickly as possible.  Please take the time to check your homes and businesses for the presence of these numbers.  Your cooperation and assistance with this by-law is greatly appreciated.

 On Wednesday, February 13^th, State Representative Ryan Fattman and I had the pleasure of serving as judges for the Boys and Girls Club of Webster and Dudley’s Annual Youth of the Year competition.  This is open to club participants between the ages of 14 and 18 who demonstrate service to the Club, the Community, and their Families.  The Representative and I were extremely impressed with the three finalists.  They are truly fine examples of the quality youth in our area.  I wish to congratulate Andrew Nene of Webster for being selected to represent our local club at the state competition.  If successful there, he has the opportunity to compete on a national level and represent all of the Boys and Girls Clubs from around the country.  He faced tough competition from the other finalists, his brother Richard and Ms. Jailene Delgado of Webster.  All three are great ambassadors of the club and the community.  I wish to thank Club Director Mr. Tony Poti, CHOICES Program Director Ms. Laura Perry, and the entire staff at the club for their hard work and dedication.  They truly make a difference in the lives of many young people from our area.

Thanks again for your questions and comments.  Please send them to me at the Dudley Police Department 71 West Main St., Dudley, Ma. 01571 or email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Opinions expressed in this weekly column are those of Chief Wojnar only and unless clearly noted, do not reflect the ideas or opinions of any other organization or citizen.