BIG RAPIDS — Residents of Big Rapids will no longer have the option of using chicken wire to fence in their yards if amendments to the fencing ordinance are adopted.
The Big Rapids planning commission is recommending the city amend its fencing ordinance to clarify language regarding what is allowable material for fencing.
“I call this my ‘chicken wire loophole,’” Paula Priebe, the city's community development director, said. “We are particularly looking at the section of the ordinance that list the types of materials the fences can be made of.
“Because the language is a little squishy, people have been making fences out of chicken wire, which doesn’t maintain well,” she added. “City staff gets a lot of complaints about these fences, but they don’t have any means of fixing the issue because they are allowed by the current regulations.”
The current language of the ordinance states that fences can be constructed of wood, brick, plastic, masonry, iron or “woven wire” commonly known as chain link.
Planning and zoning technician Emily Szymanski told the planners during a meeting in April that when applicants request to put up chicken wire fencing staff has had to approve those fences because of the term “woven wire” in the language of the ordinance.
The amended language would more clearly specify the materials that are allowed for fencing, which would include:
• Treated wood
• Painted or stained wood
• Treated split rail
• Ornamental wrought iron
• Brick
• Stone
• Masonry block
• Molded vinyl
• Chain link
Materials specifically prohibited in the new language include woven wire, scrap lumber, plywood, sheet metal, plastic or fiberglass sheets, or “other materials not commercially designed for fence construction.”
“Most zoning does not apply retroactively, so, if someone has a chicken wire fence they could not be forced to take it down, but if they wanted to replace or change the fence, they would no longer be able to put up chicken wire,” Priebe said.
In addition to the amended fencing materials language, the revised ordinance will add a section on maintaining fencing, which will allow city staff to address issues of deteriorating fences more efficiently, Priebe said.
Language in the maintenance section states that “fences shall be maintained by the property owner so as to retain their original appearance, shape, and configuration. Elements of a fence that are missing, damaged, destroyed or deteriorated shall be replaced and repaired to maintain conformity with the original fence appearance and design.”
“We (city staff) would be able, through the new maintenance language, to require them to maintain the quality of the fence,” Priebe said. “If it is falling down or missing sections, this (ordinance) would require them to maintain it in a nice appearance.”
Planning chairperson Chris Jane asked how the staff would go about enforcing the “maintaining its original appearance” section of the code.
Priebe explained it would fall under the general code enforcement and would involve issuing citations when fences fall into disrepair.
Priebe added the fencing ordinance would not apply to temporary fencing such as that around a backyard garden or snow fencing that is put up temporarily for an intended purpose but would not be allowed to continue year-round.
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May 21, 2021 at 05:05PM
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No more chicken wire fences in Big Rapids - The Pioneer
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