Our Ashborough Neighborhood
S u m m e r v i l l e , S C
Most of Our Walls and Fences (from our covenants) - 'Boundary walls may be erected and hedges grown but not higher than three (3) feet from the street right-of-way to the rear building line. Fences, boundary walls and hedges shall not exceed six (6) feet in height from the rear building line to the rear property line. A County Permit is required to fence over the rear county utility easement. The following additional provisions exist: (1) Metal Fences. Metal fences or metal infill (chain link, chicken wire, etc.) are not permitted; for wrought iron see below. (2) Fence Material. Wood and brick permitted. Wrought iron may be used only as decorative or infill trims with brick fences. (3) Fence Pattern. Fence patterns must be compatible with existing adjacent fences in the neighborhood. (4) Fence Color. Brick fences must match brick used on house. Wood fences can be left unstained, or painted. If painted, color must be approved by the Architectural Review Board.'
For fences NOT on Dorchester road - Behr stain (SC-131) - 'PEWTER' is approved.
Fences on Dorchester Road - homes directly impacted by the Dorchester Road widening project are granted a 'hardship' variation.
Ashborough HOA wants all fences on Dorchester to have a continuous,
Please remember, all fences must be approved by the ARB even if they meet all of these guidelines.
1) ALL fence work on Dorchester needs ARB approval. We can help you with design decisions.
2) if your fence will be more than 40 feet from your Dorchester property line then the standard six foot fence will be probably be okay. Many lots have wooded areas behind their houses. But if you are putting the fence out near the road the new fence must be 8 ft tall and look like the style at 104 Laurens Court.
3) when the 8 ft fence turns back toward the house it must taper down to 6 ft as it approaches the house's rear corner. Again the 'model' fence at 104 Laurens Court can serve as an example.
4) if your fence is next to an existing 8 ft fence then you must blend smoothly into the pre-existing fence. The length of the tapered section blending into the existing fence must be a minimum of 8 ft. long.
5) fences must be 'natural' (no sealants or stains) on the Dorchester side so they will age to a natural weathered gray appearance.
6) fences behind the concrete noise abatement wall can still be 6 ft.
Please remember, all fences must be approved by the ARB even if they meet all of these guidelines.
About Noise Control
When Dorchester road was widened Ashborough did an extensive review of the project's Environmental Impact Statement. And while the effort did pay off, Ashborough, Ashborough East, and White Church Place got a wall - the wall is not continuous. This was due to some houses being located too far from the roadbed to qualify for the wall (based on the federal traffic noise model). Understandably, some homeowners would like to raise their fences to improve the feeling of privacy in their backyards.
Some comments on noise control. It is tricky and often counter intuitive. But to give you a feel - if you raise your fence from 6 ft. to 8 ft. it may make your yard feel more private and enjoyable but don't expect it to be noticeably quieter. Trees and hedges won't help either.
Because the county wanted help with federal funding that meant a 5 dB noise reduction (abatement) was mandated. The current concrete wall was designed to do exactly that. Raising an existing wooden fence from 6 ft to 8 ft probably won't get you two dB of noise reduction, say from about 66 dB to 64 dB. The human ear can detect a one dB change. You may be able to detect the difference but it probably won't 'feel' quieter, but, you probably will feel you have gained some valuable privacy.