Pataskala board approves fence variance at 266 South Main Street to allow six-foot privacy fence in three front yards

The Pataskala Board of Zoning Appeals on Aug. 12 approved a variance allowing a six-foot wooden privacy fence at 266 South Main Street where code limits fence height to 48 inches in front yards.

The property sits on roughly 0.25 acres and fronts on South Main Street plus two alleyways, which creates three front yards under the city's zoning code. The applicant, David Erickson, described the request as a safety and child-containment measure; Erickson told the board he and his family want a secure backyard as their children are younger than when they purchased the house five years ago.

Planning staff said the R-7 district limits front-yard fences to 48 inches and that the mandatory front-yard setback is 25 feet; the applicant is asking to reduce setbacks to as little as 7 to 9 feet in places and to increase fence height to 6 feet in the southeast corner. Staff noted other nearby properties have similar fences, and recommended a standard condition that the applicant obtain all necessary city permits within one year.

Board members found that unique lot conditions (the house placement and existing barn) justified the variance, concluded the request was substantial but not harmful to neighbors or public welfare, and voted to approve the variance with the single condition requiring permits within one year. The vote was recorded as a yes by the board members present.