Eagleswood City Zoning Code

Fences, walls and hedges shall function to:

Fences, walls and hedges shall be permitted, in accordance with the provisions defining and regulating same set forth in this chapter, in any zone in Eagleswood Township.

The design and materials of fences, walls and hedges shall be functional, shall complement the character of the size and type of building with which they are associated, and shall be suited to the nature of the project. A combined scheme of fences, walls and hedges may be used to achieve the design effect intended.

Fences and walls, including all posts and support structures, shall be constructed to withstand the conditions of normal wind loads and/or other design and construction loads.

Fences may be wooden or of another material, as defined in Article VII of this chapter.

Walls may be constructed out of brick, stone or other maintenance-free material, as defined in Article VII of this chapter.

Installation. Fences, gates and walls shall be constructed plumb and in accordance with current construction practices as recommended by the manufacturer and the following:

Hedges.

No fence, wall or hedge shall be constructed, installed, erected or planted within a sight triangle or sight distance area or so as to constitute a hazard to traffic or safety.

No fence, wall or hedge shall contain spikes, sharp objects, barbed wire, razor ribbon, or any other similarly dangerous material which may be hazardous to persons or animals.

The following fences and walls and construction materials related thereto are specifically prohibited in all districts in the Township of Eagleswood: barbed wire, canvas, cloth, expandable and collapsible fences, and slab fences of any type. The ban on barbed wire shall not apply to fences or walls located on and necessary to the operation of a farm or to barbed wire strands placed atop a security fence or wall constructed between six feet and eight feet in height around a conforming commercial or industrial use, provided that the fence or wall conforms to all other standards and that no barbed wire be permitted in the front yard of nonfarm uses.

Commercially manufactured low-voltage electrically charged fences may be permitted in Eagleswood Township; however, they shall only be used for the keeping of livestock on property where such property conforms to the requirements of Chapter 72, Animals, Article I.

All fences and walls shall be erected a minimum of six inches from all property lines of the lot on which same will be located.

No fence, wall or hedge shall be constructed, erected or planted so as to encroach upon any public or private right-of-way or easement.

All supporting members of a fence shall be located on the inside of the fence, and if erected along or adjacent to a property line, the supporting members of the fence shall face the principal portion of the tract of land of the property upon which the fence is erected. The finished side of fences and walls shall face adjacent properties.

The height of all fences, walls and hedges shall be measured from the ground elevation or finished grade at the bottom point of the fence, wall or hedge to the uppermost portion of the fence, wall or hedge.

Fences and walls which are painted or stained shall be one harmonious color throughout.

Fences, walls and hedges shall be constructed, erected or planted in a manner so as to permit the flow of natural drainage and shall not cause surface water to be blocked, obstructed or dammed so as to create ponding.

Maintenance standards.

Height. Fences, walls and hedges hereafter erected, altered, reconstructed or planted in any zoning district in the Township of Eagleswood shall not exceed four feet in height above ground level when located in an area within the front setback, as defined for the zoning district in which the property is located, or shall not exceed six feet in height above ground level when located in any side yard or rear yard, except as follows:

Waterfront property. The fence, wall or hedge on a waterfront property shall not exceed six feet in height. Any fence, wall or hedge placed within 15 feet of the mean high-water line (on lots with no bulkhead) or bulkhead shall not exceed four feet in height and must maintain fifty-percent consistent density and/or opacity. A four-foot fence, wall or hedge may be installed along the rear property line six inches inside of the rear property or any property line adjacent to the mean high-water line, provided said fence, wall or hedge meets the fifty-percent density and/or opacity requirements.

A permit shall be required for the construction, erection or reconstruction of all fences and walls and the planting of hedges. Said permit shall be issued by the Eagleswood Township Zoning Officer.