Property owners ask Decatur historic panel for exception to allow brick wall at 210 Vine Street

Property owners of 210 Vine Street asked the Decatur City historic-design commission for an exception to the commission’s guidelines so they can replace a deteriorating wooden fence with a brick wall visible from the street.

The request was made during the commission’s meeting discussion of fence materials in the historic districts. The property owners said they have owned the house since February 2001, removed a house on the rear lot in 2012 and have installed and replaced fences over the years. “We want to put a brick wall. We can afford to build a brick wall,” the property owner said, arguing brick walls exist throughout the neighborhood and are durable.

Commission members and staff replied that the district’s design guidelines, rewritten and adopted in 2023, limit the use of stone, brick or concrete where they are readily visible from street vantage points. One commission member summarized the language the commission was using to guide decisions: “Stone, brick, or concrete bases are not appropriate for any fencing or anything that is readily visible from street vantage.” Staff noted the guidelines and the specific sections — cited in the meeting as sections 16.5 and 16.9 — are the basis for the commission’s review and that adjustments for individual properties can be considered where hardships or other specific circumstances are demonstrated.

The homeowners pointed to examples in the district, including an historic photograph of Line Street that shows brick walls lining the street and multiple existing brick walls in both historic neighborhoods. “If you look at page 12 of the guidelines yourself, it shows Line Street,” the property owner said, and added that the brick size they plan to use matches older, narrower units used historically in the neighborhood.

Commission members acknowledged that some prior exceptions have been granted in the districts, but said they must balance precedent with the written guidelines. One member described the rule as “black and white” unless an applicable exception or hardship is documented in the record. The discussion included whether corner-lot conditions or side-yard placements change the commission’s review standard; a commission member noted corner lots sometimes present different considerations because elements on a side elevation are treated differently than on primary street-facing elevations.

No formal vote or binding approval for the brick wall was recorded in the transcript. The conversation ended with a procedural question about completing a wood-fence option already discussed with staff: “Okay. So we get wood finished tomorrow, right, Carolyn?”

The record shows the commission relied on its 2023 historic-district design guidelines in evaluating the request; the commission did not adopt a decision on an exception during the portion of the meeting captured in the transcript. Additional written application materials or a formal exception request would be needed for the commission to make a binding determination.