DeKalb commission tables request for 6‑foot privacy fence at 129 Wendell Place

The DeKalb Planning and Zoning Commission on Monday continued a public hearing on a petition by Jim Hartwig requesting a variance to allow a 6‑foot privacy fence to be built in a portion of the front yard along South Second Street at 129 Wendell Place; the commission voted to table the item for further discussion at its Oct. 6 meeting.

The request would place a solid 6‑foot fence about 4 feet behind the sidewalk at the southeast corner of the property and start the fence roughly 11 feet back from the front of the house, encroaching into the yard area along South Second Street. City staff said the house sits roughly 25 to 29 feet from the right‑of‑way and that the lot measures about 80 by 125 feet (approximately 10,500 square feet).

The variance drew several neighbors who opposed the proposal on aesthetic and property‑value grounds and the applicant, who said the fence was primarily for safety and privacy. "Our number 1 thing was safety," said Jim Hartwig, who identified himself as a local insurance agent. "We want to do what's best for my family, for safety, privacy." Hartwig said the family has three children, ages 15, 9 and 2, and a dog, and that he and his wife had delayed the project until returning from military…