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Garner considers pine straw ban by early 2011

By Paul Tambasco
News Editor

Pine straw has worn out its welcome in Garner, but it won’t leave town altogether just yet.

COURTNEY FLAHERTY, GARNER CITIZEN

Local leaders have joined other cities and towns in the region in agreeing to ban the placement of pine straw and other highly flammable landscaping materials near apartment complexes and other commercial buildings in town.

Garner’s ban exempts single-family homes and townhomes and follows the adoption of similar restrictions in Apex, Cary, Knightdale, Morrisville and Raleigh.

New fire safety rules have been discussed in the wake of at least two major residential fires in Oak City over the last two years in which pine straw was identified as a contributing factor. Fire safety experts say the popular material is highly flammable and can quickly spread a fire between buildings.

The Garner ban would apply only to pine needles used for landscaping purposes, not those that collect naturally.

The ban also requires placing combustible landscaping at least 10 feet away from highly flammable building exteriors such as vinyl siding. Those who do not comply could face a fine of $50 along with other penalties.

Not so fast

But the ban is not yet official.

After nearly three months of research and discussion, Garner Council members were planning to put it into effect Feb. 1, 2011, allowing local users seven months to comply.

But at a meeting Tuesday, July 6, a local landlord requested more time so affected property owners could prepare for the rule change. George Rucker, owner of Dixie Construction Company, asked the Council to push back the start date to June.

Rucker said the extra time would help in establishing grass around his rental properties while finding a suitable alternative to pine needles.

“We just want a little more time to make things look nice,” Rucker said.

The Council agreed to give it to him; they plan to keep the Feb. 1 start date but will allow Rucker and other individual property owners to apply for a waiver if needed until June.

In their presentation to the Council, town staff shared a 2006 national study by the National Institute of Standards and Technology that showed burning pine straw spreads at a much faster rate than other commonly used landscaping materials — such as pine bark and cypress mulch.

Town leaders believe the ban will help reduce the public risk from a rapidly spreading fire.

“We’re just trying to make it a little safer,” said Council member Gra Singleton.

Rucker agrees that the ban will make properties safer but does not see the urgency of it.

“It is not like we’re having these fires all over the place. … You have one incident, it gets in the papers,  and everyone thinks they have to do something,” he said.

Rucker estimates that replacing pine straw on his affected properties will cost between $5,000 and $10,000 — an expense he plans to pass on to tenants.

Once in place, the ban will take some getting used to, he said.

“We grow our own [pine straw], so this is a big change.”

Singleton asked town staff to put together the ordinance earlier this spring. The added costs and adjustments to local property owners are worth it if it reduces the risk of a serious fire.

“You have to weigh the pros and cons. … We need to try to take a warning even though no one has been seriously hurt,” he said.

Town leaders structured the ban to apply only to multifamily dwellings because they said residents in single-family homes and town homes have greater control over  potential fire hazards on their properties.

For instance, landlords and property managers decide on the kind of landscaping material used around an apartment building, not residents, he said.

“In single-family you have a say [of what you use for landscaping], you know the danger exists. … It’s your choice to put it there. Multifamily … they don’t have that choice,” Singleton said.

The town is developing information to help property owners and the public better understand the new rules.

The talk of pine needles and quick burn rates has prompted Singleton to reconsider his own landscaping, though his home falls outside the ban. For now, he relies heavily on pine straw — though that may change.

“It makes you think,” he said.

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