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Board allows 8‑foot front-yard fence after residents cite loitering, trash and safety concerns
Summary
After neighbors described frequent loitering, trash, and safety fears behind a home adjacent to commercial properties, the board approved as‑installed fence heights at 608 Old Edgefield Road and allowed the owner to add matching fencing on the left side at his discretion; the board attached three conditions including maintenance and repair standards.
The North Augusta Board of Zoning Appeals unanimously approved a variance March 3 allowing the existing taller fence at 608 Old Edgefield Road to remain in the front-yard setback area where code limits fences to 4 feet.
Staff reported persistent loitering, encampment activity, and trash behind the property that is adjacent to a convenience store and a medical facility; staff said the fenced area had been installed in response to those nuisance and safety concerns. Greg Dennis, the property owner, described repeated encounters with people lingering on the property, trash accumulation and safety worries that led him to extend the fence to gain privacy and security for his family.
A nearby resident, Lila Hooks, testified she felt unsafe taking out her trash due to foot traffic and people sitting near the fence. Staff also said it had contacted Dominion Energy about maintenance of the utility parcel that borders the property.
The board found an unnecessary hardship and extraordinary conditions due to the property's adjacency to commercial uses and the loitering issues. The variance was approved with three conditions: (1) approval as-is of the existing fence configuration; (2) the current applicant may add a matching fence on the left (kidney‑center) side at his discretion without returning for a new variance; and (3) the fence may be repaired, maintained, or replaced using similar design and materials if damaged. The board emphasized that the approval applies to the current owner and that code requirements (such as facing the finished side outward) still apply unless otherwise specified.
