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What should a fence ordinance look like in Farmville? That’s something the town council will pick back up and discuss this week, as they look over a revised version of the current proposal. 

First, just a quick refresher on how we got here. The proposed fence ordinance comes from a situation earlier this year on Longwood Avenue, where a resident built a privacy fence that stretched all the way from the rear of the yard to within the town’s right of way. That made it harder for one of the person’s neighbors, who could no longer see traffic from that direction as they pulled in or out of their driveway. When it was brought up to town officials, the staff found there was no ordinance in place regarding fences. And that started the conversation. 

What’s in the fence ordinance? 

So what would the fence ordinance look like? The current proposal wouldn’t allow a fence larger than 8 feet high on the side or rear yard unless the person got a conditional use permit. In the front yard, a fence wouldn’t be allowed higher than four feet without a permit. There are some exceptions, however, as this doesn’t count for temporary construction fences or those set up to handle erosion or sediment control. In those situations, you wouldn’t need a conditional use permit. 

The piece about requiring a conditional use permit has raised concerns among council and staff during previous discussions, just because of the costs involved. Filing an application for a conditional use permit is $500. Four fences were approved between July and August of this year and the town averages roughly one a month. Davis pointed out that if the town required a conditional use permit, each of those requests for a fence would have to come before council, which would likely mean at least one a month. The opposing argument from council member Thomas Pairet has been that fences are not cheap, so if residents want to build one, they would likely be prepared to pay. 

During that October work session, Farmville Town Manager Dr. Scott Davis also pointed out that the $500 fee to apply for a conditional use permit does not cover the costs involved, such as advertising for a public hearing. As a result, the town loses money on these. The more they do, the more public hearings need to be held and the more money the town loses. The only way to avoid that would be to increase the conditional use permit fee beyond $500, which the council has rejected before. 

The current proposal also makes it clear the owner would have to do some cosmetic things to keep the fence up long-term. The proposal calls for all fences to be maintained in good repair and in a safe and attractive condition. “The owner of the property on which a fence is located shall be responsible for maintenance, including, but not limited to, the replacement of missing, decayed, or broken structural and decorative elements.” In other words, if part of the fence breaks or if it’s worn down and looks like it’s seen better days, you wouldn’t be able to leave it like that. The property owner would have to repair or replace the damaged parts. 

Time consuming 

Davis also pointed out back in October that the council would be making this a fairly lengthy process for any resident who wants a fence. If they agree that fences need a conditional use permit, that means the resident has to pay the fee, go through the planning process, go and take part in the public hearing at the planning commission, then get a recommendation from the commission and take part in a public hearing the next month before town council. 

“So these people could wait two to three months to get a fence approved,” Davis said. 

When will council meet? 

There’s no Farmville council work session this month. Instead, the group just has one meeting, set for this Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 6 p.m. That’ll be held in the council chambers of town hall, located at 116 N. Main Street. While a discussion on fences is set to take place, there’s no guarantee the group will vote on it this week.