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Plan commission approves 6-foot front-yard garden fence exception at 1107 W. Seventh St.
Summary
The Marshfield Plan Commission voted to approve a conditional use permit exception that allows a 6-foot open fence in the front yard at 1107 West Seventh Street; the decision was recommended to the Common Council for final action.
The Marshfield Plan Commission on May 20 voted to approve a conditional use permit allowing a 6-foot open fence in the front yard at 1107 West Seventh Street, a parcel the planner described as approximately 0.27 acres.
Planner Bryce Henberg told the commission the applicant built garden beds in the front yard after finding the backyard too shaded, and that animals had been damaging the garden. Henberg said the applicant proposed the fence up to the property line to avoid relocating an in-ground irrigation line that connects two 275-gallon rain barrels to the garden. Henberg said an open, up-to-6-foot fence in the front yard “doesn’t seem like a drastic change.”
Under Marshfield’s zoning rules cited in the staff report, front-yard fences are typically limited to open designs and a maximum height of 4 feet; fences enclosing gardens are permitted only if they meet setback rules and other standards, or if the planning commission grants an exception. The staff report recommended approval with five conditions: allow a 6-foot or shorter open fence as shown on the site plan; require additional plan commission and Common Council review for fencing beyond the submitted materials or site plan; require the fence be entirely on the subject parcel and not encroach into the public right-of-way or adjacent properties; permit the fence to be located up to but not on any property line (exceptions to minimum setbacks granted); and allow minor administrative site-plan adjustments so long as no other exceptions are required.
A motion to approve passed on a roll-call vote of the Plan Commission. The commission’s approval is the local recommendation; final approval of conditional use permits rests with the Common Council, which will receive the commission’s recommendation.
The applicant on the record was identified as Jonathan Altman; the planning file includes the parcel number and the applicant’s narrative explaining the irrigation constraint and the garden history. No public comments were offered during the hearing.
Next steps: the commission’s approval and the staff report will be forwarded to the Common Council for final consideration.
