Board grants variance for solid fence at 372 Glen Rose after split vote at prior hearing

The Metropolitan Board of Zoning Appeals voted 4-0 May 1 to approve a variance that allows a solid fence at 372 Glen Rose, citing the lot's shallow dimensions and the home's close siting to the street as hardships.

The case, 2025-15, had been before the board at the April meeting, where a motion to deny the variance was made and carried among the members present that day. Zoning staff recorded that the April motion to deny was made by Chairman Pepper and seconded by Mr. Cole; the April vote in favor of denial listed Pepper, Cole and Ransom as voting to deny, while Ms. Davis and Ms. Johnson opposed denial. At the May hearing, Board member Bradford, who had not been present at the April vote, said he had reviewed the record and told the board, "I vote no on the motion to deny." That vote changed the tally and allowed the board to entertain a new motion.

During deliberations at the May hearing, board members discussed alternatives: making part of the fence transparent by removing panels, requiring only the front portion be shortened, or issuing a narrow, site-specific variance. Some members noted the practical difficulty of requiring a portion of the fence to be altered — for example, creating a gap for visibility that would break the fence's continuity — and weighed the applicant's stated security concerns. The zoning record notes the property is unusually shallow and the existing home sits closer to the street than neighboring houses.

After discussion, a motion to approve the variance based on the hardship of the lot's shallowness and the preexisting dwelling's proximity to the street carried on a 4-0 vote. The board directed the applicant to follow standard permitting steps with the codes office.