Lake Waccamaw approves new ordinances following dispute over fence construction
LAKE WACCAMAW, NC (WWAY) — When Samira Davis purchased property along the shore of Lake Waccamaw in 2022, she never imagined revealing the view of the water would end up causing so much trouble.
“When I bought the property, it was completely overgrown,” Davis said. “I created the view because the zoning administrator for the town of Lake Waccamaw at the time requested that I buy it. I was going to terminate, he asked me to clear it out and assured me, it was his idea that we do a beach access.”
After clearing out the overgrowth, Davis began work on a fence for both safety and privacy.
Soon after installation began, the town issued a stop-work order.
But Davis claims the town’s former zoning officer said permits weren’t necessary to build the fence.
On Tuesday night, Lake Waccamaw town commissioners held a meeting to discuss the town’s zoning ordinance relating to the construction of fences and other structures that could block the view of the lake.
Allen Bracey, son of town commissioner Karl Bracey, lives across from Davis along Lake Shore Drive.
Bracey said he was the one who made a complaint about the fence to the town, adding that landowners should be aware of what the town’s ordinances state.
“I am the one who said to the town that a 6-foot-high fence was being built,” Bracey said. “Not that council member, me. Every landowner has a responsibility to know the rules and live by them.”
During their meeting, town commissioners unanimously approved changes to the zoning ordinance.
While other property owners will be able to keep their fences, Davis said hers has to come down.
“What they’re doing is they’re saying, well we’re going to grandfather everybody else, but not you. And we’re going to force you, what they’re proposing to do, is to force me to take down my fence to increase the visibility, but there was no visibility when I purchased it.”
The changes to the zoning ordinance include establishing a minimum transparency calculation for fences, handrails, guardrails, and walls, along with a maximum height of those structures of just 3 feet.
