§ 137-3. Construction standards.
   A.   All fences erected in the Town of Hammonton shall be subject to the following:
      (1)   All fences must be erected entirely upon the private property of the person constructing or causing the construction of the fence;
      (2)   All fences must be constructed in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications, within reasonable building standards and approved by the Construction Official;
      (3)   All fences shall be erected with the face or finished side of the fence facing toward adjacent properties. The structural side of the fence shall face toward the interior of the subject property on which the fence has been installed;
      (4)   Fence gates shall have a latch and they shall not open onto a sidewalk, street or adjacent property;
      (5)   Fences shall be erected in a manner as to permit the flow of natural drainage and shall not cause surface water to be blocked or dammed;
      (6)   Any screening or buffering consisting of landscaping plant materials shall be planted no closer than 50% of the anticipated mature growth width of such screening or buffering, but in no event closer than four feet from any property line. Additionally, any screening or buffering consisting of landscaping plant materials shall not encroach over a sidewalk, sight triangle easement, public right-of-way or beyond a private property line. Except as otherwise stated, all fences, screening or buffering consisting of landscaped plant materials shall be subject to the requirements and conditions of this chapter;
      (7)   No fence shall be erected so as to encroach upon a public right-of-way or site triangle;
      (8)   The use of barbed wire or other similar-type fencing is prohibited unless otherwise stated in the ordinances of the Town of Hammonton;
      (9)   Utility poles, lolly columns, scrap materials, individually installed elements or columns and other nontraditional fence materials shall not be permitted to be used for construction of any fence within the Town of Hammonton. All proposed fence materials are subject to the review, approval and discretion of the Construction Code Official of the Town of Hammonton;
      (10)   No fence shall be constructed and/or maintained so as to deny access to public utilities by an authorized person;
      (11)   Fences in residential properties.
         (a)   Any fence installed on a property within a residential zoning district, or on a property which contains a residential use, shall not exceed three feet in height installed within a front yard setback area, or along a front property line.
         (b)   Any fence installed on a property within a residential zoning district, or on a property which contains a residential use, shall not exceed three feet in height installed within a side yard setback area, or along a side property line. The fence height may increase to six feet in height at the point of 75% of the length of the side building wall, measured from the front of the house. The fence may continue at a height of six feet along the remainder of the side property line to a point where the fence meets the rear yard area or rear property line.
         (c)   Any fence installed on a property within a residential zoning district, or on a property which contains a residential use, shall not exceed six feet in height installed within a rear yard setback area or along a rear property line; and
      (12)   Any fence installed on a property within a nonresidential zoning district, or on a property which contains a nonresidential use property, or a mixed use, shall not exceed six feet.
   B.   Should any property be a corner property which has frontage on two streets, the rear building line, for the purpose of this article, shall be interpreted to mean that point where the property line of any corner property abuts the rear building line of any adjacent property, and the owner of said corner property shall not be entitled to construct any fence that exceeds three feet in height from the average ground grade in any point closer to the nearest roadway with which said line intersects than the rear building line of all adjacent properties.
   C.   These fence regulations shall not apply to the erection of an open-wire fence within a publicly owned park, playground or school premises if the need for such a fence for such uses as athletic fields and the like are demonstrated to and approved by the Building Construction Officer.