Fence causes disagreement
By Jack Stephens
Published in News on May 3, 2006 1:46 PM
PRINCETON -- Douglas Langston wants to put up a $10,000 fence along his property on Iris Drive, but the Princeton town board says he cannot.
Langston said he wants to erect the fence within four feet of the street so that several bushes and trees would be inside of the fence.
But town officials said during Monday night's monthly town board meeting in the Community Building that the fence would be only 14 feet from the center of the street, or 11 feet closer than the town ordinance allows.
Police Chief Eddie Lewis advised the board that the town could be liable if a wayward vehicle ran into the fence.
But Langston said there were many fences in town that violated the ordinance.
"I can ride every street in town and find violations," he said. "And you tell me I can't do it?"
Langston said the fence at Princeton School on Bartholomew Drive was in violation. But Lewis said it measured exactly 25 feet.
Mayor Don Rains said he had not visited the site and several times asked Langston to bring a plan for the next meeting.
"But I don't think four feet will be acceptable," Rains said.
Langston left but then returned. Near the end of the meeting, he asked the board who would mow the grass for the 381 feet on the town right-of-way between the fence and the street.
Rains said the town would cut it but "maybe not to your satisfaction. ... All homeowners I know mow the grass in the town's right of way" to make it look the same.