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Board of Zoning Appeals denies front-yard fence variance; council refers fence code (Chapter 13-23) to committee
Summary
The Board of Zoning Appeals denied a variance request for a 4-foot front-yard fence at 1724 Douglas Road; the council referred proposed clarifications to Chapter 13-23 (fences) to its Legislation and Welfare Committee.
WICKLIFFE, Ohio — The Board of Zoning Appeals voted to deny a variance that would have allowed a four-foot wooden fence in the front yard at 1724 Douglas Road, and the City Council referred Chapter 13-23 (fences) to the Legislation and Welfare Committee for further review.
At a public meeting on April 24, the Board reviewed the city’s fence rules, which require corner-lot fences to be set back 10 feet from the right-of-way and generally place front-yard fences behind the setback line unless they are decorative picket or split-rail fences not exceeding three feet in height. The BZA determined the requested variance did not meet the standards and voted to deny the application.
On April 28 Councilwoman Koski proposed that Chapter 13-23 be clarified to remove vague language and to specify additional information that applicants must provide for fence requests. The council referred Chapter 13-23 to the Legislation and Welfare Committee for study; the committee meeting was scheduled for May 5 to consider fences as well as open-burning and incomplete building projects.
The BZA vote and the council referral together mark the start of a process to clarify fence regulations and to provide clearer guidance for future variance applicants.
