Davidson’s Town Board meets Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, with an agenda of presentations, a public hearing and vote on proposed changes to the town’s fence design rules, and a work session on the 2008-9 budget, including a proposed increase in a town automobile fee and a new business license fee.
The presentations will include one by Cornelius Town Manager Anthony Roberts about the proposed new animal shelter in his town, which Davidson is considering joining. Also among the presentations:
- The board will have a chance to meet Jay Laurens, director of the Ada Jenkins Center. (Listen to our audio interview from Jan. 18, 2008, “4-minute interview: Jay Laurens”)
- Town planner Lauren Blackburn will update the board on the N.C. 73/Davidson-Concord Road Area Plan. The plan is aimed at helping Davidson, Cornelius and Huntersville guide future development in the area. Davidson currently has a moratorium on growth in the area. The towns showed a preliminary draft and proposals in January.
NEW FENCE RULES CONSIDERED
The board will hold a public hearing on proposed amendments to the planning ordinance dealing with fences and front doors. The issue of fences came up last month after a homeowner on Concord Road erected a new fence that drew complaints. (See our March 4, 2008, report “The fence that’s turning heads.”
The board will be presented with several options for altering the ordinance. First, it could choose not to amend the section on fences. A second proposal calls for restricting high (6-foot fences) to an area at least four feet behind the plane of the building facade, and requiring fences in front of that to be no more than 3½ feet tall. The town currently allows fences in front yards to be 4 feet. Also, the rule would be revised to disallow fences with more than a 75 percent solid surface. Walls (as opposed to fences) would be limited to 3 feet in front of a home.
A third proposal would be to ban front yard fences in the Village Infill planning area, which primarily includes the old part of town.
Another minor change in the ordinance would make it clear that main building entrances are required to face the street, and may not face parking areas. Download a copy of the proposed changes here. (requires Adobe Reader software)
The board has scheduled a vote on the changes for later in the meeting.
WORK SESSION AGENDA
Tuesday’s meeting also will include a work session on the 2008-2009 budget and related issues. The discussions will include a proposal for a new business privilege license, which would be required of businesses in town. Town Manager Leamon Brice estimates it could bring in $50,000 a year in revenues.
Mr. Brice also wants the town board to consider increasing the town’s car license tax from $5 to $20, which could generate an extra $90,000 a year.
The board also is scheduled to have a closed session to discuss an undisclosed property purchase.
LINK
The full agenda is to be posted on the town website. CLICK HERE>
The country is possibly in a recession and Mr. Brice wants to quadruple the car license tax and introduce new taxes for businesses? Will the new farmers market have to pay fees to Town Hall? With the price of food so high, why not impose a new 10% Fresh Food Tax?
The town should be very cautious in amending or changing simple ordinances that could have tremendously adverse repercussions. Questions will arise not only as they pertain to aesthetics (i.e.: “the fence”) but also violations of some fences that have been deemed attractive but are not in compliance to current ordinance. Maybe we will then address natural fences such as hedges and flowering shrubs as well. Boy just imagine if we focused on something like burying those unsightly power lines downtown or marking pedestrian crosswalks better so that you don’t risk your life crossing the street. Let us not forget that we ALL have to live here.
I like the option 3. Ten years ago I built my fence, which is a picket fence 6 ft on sides and 4 ft. in front and rear, with about a 25 foot setback from the building front in the front, with the side fence descending gradually to meet the lower front fence to blend smoothly. This design was recommended by both an architect and fence construction company, because it is a very popular design used throughout the U.S. They were adamant about not fencing in front of the house, because of the severe disruption to Davidson’s traditional architectural balance. It came out very nicely– and was not a ground-breaking design that created a landslide of ordinances dictating hedges and shrub design.
I suggest that a 4 ft. fence would be preferable, because large, aggressive dogs, might be able to get over a 3.5 ft. fence, or at least seem they could. Also, a solid side fence might be important for people who want more privacy in their back yard, for sunbathing, family meals, hanging laundry, and shelter from noise.
And yes, I do agree that burying power lines and making better crosswalks should be first. And why not less intrusive and more environmentally sensitive street lights in the infill area. On warm summer evenings, when trying to enjoy my front porch, I am blinded by the stalag 17 style flood lights the town has chosen to deface the infill area with.