Changes to Burgaw ordinance means fences easier to add, some LED signs OK

Published: Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at 9:23 p.m. Last Modified: Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at 9:23 p.m.

Putting up front yard fences will be easier for residents and some LED window signs for businesses will now be allowed as Burgaw town officials decided Tuesday night to make changes to the town's Unified Development Ordinance.

Burgaw resident Joe Bordeaux requested in December that commissioners consider a change to the town's ordinance that would allow him to put a fiberglass fence in his front yard.

Burgaw Planning Administrator Rebekah Costin said concerns about the height and design of front-yard fences in 2007 led commissioners to adopt an amendment to the ordinance requiring residents to a obtain a conditional use permit for any front-yard fence.

The permit process requirement included a $300 application fee and a public hearing before the board of commissioners. Costin said the process seemed to have deterred some residents from putting up fences.

I've had questions from property owners over the last few years about putting up a front-yard fence to keep pedestrians from crossing their yard on a regular basis, and when they found out about the conditional use process, no one was willing to take it further, she said.

Now a resident may pay $30 for a zoning permit for their fence and would generally complete the process in one day versus undergoing a month-long process.

Residential front-yard fences cannot exceed 4 feet in height and must be constructed of certain materials listed in the ordinance, including wood and stone. Commercial front-yard fences still require a conditional use permit.

Although signs consisting of LED lights were prohibited in Burgaw prior to Tuesday night, several businesses already were using such signs in their windows, particularly signs that say open. Costin estimated about 30 or 40 businesses, including about 10 in downtown Burgaw, had the signs. Costin said the town prohibited LED or LCD signs because of the difficulty of making sure they are not too bright to interfere with passersby.

The approved ordinance amendment allows incidental LED and LCD window signs, but prohibit such signs that flash, scroll or contain moving lights, pictures or text.

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Changes to Burgaw ordinance means fences easier to add, some LED signs OK