GRANITE QUARRY — Residents in Granite Quarry now have guidelines to follow when it comes to erecting fences.
The Granite Quarry Board of Aldermen has approved a text amendment to the town’s Unified Development Ordinance spelling out height restrictions on fences and what types of fences are prohibited.
The maximum height for fences in front yards is 3 feet; in side and back yards, 6 feet.
Requests can be made to the town’s zoning administrator for fences exceeding the maximum height to determine whether they still meet the ordinance’s intent.
Chain-link and metal-slat fences are not allowed in front yards.
Barbed wire and ground-electrified fences are prohibited in all the town’s zoning districts, except for agricultural uses, major utilities, government facilities and other public safety uses.
Underground electric fences designed to control domestic animals are allowed.
Fences or walls may not be made of debris, junk, rolled plastic, sheet metal, plywood or waste materials — unless those things have been recycled and reprocessed into building materials marketed to the general public.
After another public hearing, aldermen also adopted a new flood insurance map, which reflects four recent flood-control projects.
Those projects included replacement of culverts on Brookwood Avenue and Bank Street, park drainage improvements and Norfolk Southern’s replacement of a culvert with a trestle.
The original 100-year flood plain changed significantly and the number of homes affected was reduced because of the projects.
In other town business:
• Granite Quarry-Faith Police Authority Chief Mark Cook said his department has adopted six children from two families for whom to provide Christmas presents this year.
The department could adopt more children if families were to step forward.
• Granite Lake Park has two new machines to dispense fish food, thanks to another donation from East Rowan High wrestlers. The previous machines were stolen Oct. 13.
The East Rowan wrestling team uses the money raised to replace the food and help pay for tournaments throughout the school year and wrestling supplies.
• The town-sponsored appearance of Santa Claus will take place from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Sunday at Granite Lake Park. If there’s bad weather, Santa will be at Town Hall instead.
• Specially decorated trees for Christmas will be lighted Sunday evening. Aldermen agreed that the tree lights in the park should remain on until 10 each night.
• Aldermen passed a proclamation honoring Claude Lyerly on his 102nd birthday.
Contact Mark Wineka at 704-797-4263.