No fence, wall or similar structure shall be erected without first obtaining a permit from the Zoning Officer, unless it qualifies as a temporary fence under § 675-108 below. Unless otherwise stated, fences, walls and hedges are permitted in all zoning districts.
Fences shall not have a height exceeding:
A.
Six feet, if located in a side or rear yard of a residential zone
property;
B.
Six feet above the highest point of the grade (retained side) of
the adjacent ground, if affixed to a retaining wall;
C.
Two and one-half feet near or at an intersection and situate within
a clear sight triangle;
D.
Forty-two inches if located in a front yard of a use within a residential
district, provided that said fence is decorative in nature and is
not designed as a visual screen of any portion of the property on
which it is located. Decorative fences shall include split-rail, wrought-iron
or picket varieties and shall be constructed entirely of wood, wrought
iron, vinyl or a combination of these materials. Not less than 50%
of the area of any such fence shall be open.
Retaining walls shall not have a height exceeding:
The following fences, walls, similar structures or fencing and
wall materials shall be prohibited:
A.
Barbed wire;
B.
Fabric (other than temporary barriers);
C.
Electrically charged fences;
D.
Broken glass affixed to or on any wall, fence or similar structure;
E.
Junk, including but not limited to discarded vehicles, automobiles,
trucks, buses, tractors, appliances, such as refrigerators, washers
and dryers, assembled or partially assembled materials, such as holding
tanks, barrels and raw materials, such as stone, cement and sand;
and
F.
Wire fences constructed with less than 12-gauge wire.
Temporary fences, erosion control silt fencing, gardening fence
and plant "cages," walls or similar structures used on construction
sites or sand bags to control flooding are exempt from the permit
requirements of this article, provided such fences, walls or similar
structures are removed immediately upon completion of construction,
gardening, or flooding, and are in no event in place in excess of
six months.
No fence shall be permitted to be erected across a public easement
or right-of-way which serves as a public thoroughfare to pedestrian
or vehicular traffic, or beside running parallel to said right-of-way
used as a public thoroughfare within one foot, and shall not impede
or prevent emergency access for police, fire, and ambulance vehicles,
and shall not be placed so as to impede snow removal or stormwater
runoff.
Fences may be placed along a private property not abutting a
public thoroughfare with zero setback, but the party installing the
fence shall be responsible for locating the property line prior to
installation of said fence, and the Borough shall not be responsible,
through the issuance of a fence permit or otherwise, for any damages
or dispute which may arise through the issuance of a fence permit
or in approving the placement of any fence, where the applicant for
a permit has submitted or relied on a survey plat or marker which
is in error or at variance with that of a neighbor.
A.
Materials. Walls built to retain or support lateral pressure of earth
or water or other superimposed loads shall be designed and constructed
of masonry, concrete, steel sheet piling or other approved materials.
Wood used in retaining walls shall be approved preservative-treated
wood treated in accordance with AWPA C2 or C9 as listed in BOCA Chapter
35 for ground contact, except as indicated in Sections 2311.7.1 through
2311.7.3 of BOCA. Use of wood for retaining walls is further limited
as follows:
(1)
Untreated wood may be used where the wall is not more than two
feet in height and is separated from the lot line or a permanent building
by a minimum distance equal to the height of the wall.
(2)
Where a retaining wall or a crib wall is not more than two feet
in height and is located on the lot line, approved naturally durable
wood is permitted.
(3)
Where a retaining wall or crib wall is not more than four feet
in height and is separated from the lot line or a permanent building
by a minimum distance equal to the height of the wall, approved naturally
durable wood is permitted.
B.
Design.
(1)
Retaining walls shall be designed to resist the design lateral
soil loads, including both dead load and live load surcharges to which
the walls are subjected, and to ensure stability against overturning,
sliding, excessive foundation pressure and water uplift. Unless drainage
is provided, the hydrostatic head of the water shall be assumed to
be equal to the height of the wall. All designs shall be sealed by
a registered professional engineer licensed in the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania.
(2)
Where retaining walls have differences in grade level on either
side of the wall in excess of six feet, such retaining walls may require
fencing or guards that are constructed in accordance with Section
1021.0 of BOCA or other approved protective measures. The Borough
Manager, upon the receipt of a written request for waiver, and after
consultation with the Borough Engineer, shall make a recommendation
to the Council concerning whether fencing or a guard is required in
the final plan approval.
(3)
Masonry retaining walls shall be protected with an approved
coping.
(4)
Vertical retaining walls in excess of six feet shall be separated
horizontally by a minimum of six feet.
