Canal Winchester council upholds Landmarks denial of vinyl fence at 24 East Mound Street

Canal Winchester city council on Aug. 4 denied an appeal from the owner of 24 East Mound Street seeking permission to replace a wood picket fence with a white vinyl fence, upholding a May 27 unanimous 7-0 Landmarks Commission denial. The owner, Anna Strahan, told council she prefers vinyl because "vinyl requires less upkeep," and offered a vinyl design with pointed picket tops after the commission said the originally submitted panel did not meet the district's picket-style appearance. City staff and the Landmarks chair described the application as CA 25020 and said the property sits in the Old Town historic district and the West Mound Street Historic District, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The decision matters because the property has three street frontages and is subject to Old Town guidelines and current zoning setbacks. City staff told council that an existing 4-foot wood picket fence is grandfathered if it is simply maintained but that a material/design change would require the fence to meet current height limits and that "the height for a material change would have to step it down to 3 feet," requiring review by the Planning and Zoning Commission. During review by the Landmarks Commission, members asked whether the applicant would consider a wood fence or an aluminum alternative that matches the maintenance-free goal. The applicant rejected a standard aluminum/wrought-iron look as changing the character she sought and asked council to allow the vinyl picket-style option. Council members expressed sympathy with the homeowner's maintenance concerns but repeatedly said they would defer to the Landmarks Commission's role in preserving Old Town character. A motion to deny the homeowner's appeal (thereby upholding the Landmarks decision) was made from the chair, seconded by Councilmember Buskirk, and approved in roll-call votes by the council. Council members who voted yes included Mister Bennett, Mister Buskirk, Mister McLaughlin, Mister Moore, Mister Shea and the two members recorded as Missus Amick and Missus Amis; the motion carried, leaving the commission's denial in place. Council and staff clarified next steps for the property owner: if the owner wishes to pursue a different material or a greater height, those changes would trigger separate zoning review and possible variances; if the owner simply repairs or replaces in-kind (wood picket in the same location and style), that work is treated as maintenance and is allowed without revising the nonconforming status. The council's action leaves the Landmarks Commission's material standard in effect for Old Town and signals that design appeals in the historic district face high scrutiny; council members urged better enforcement of upkeep across the district so that permitted wooden fences are maintained. City staff and the Landmarks chair said they remain available to work with the homeowner on design options that might meet both preservation standards and the homeowner's maintenance goals.