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Resident asks council to ask planning commission to revisit front-yard fence materials
Summary
A Columbia City resident asked the council to recommend that the planning commission consider allowing iron-rod-style fences taller than 3 feet in front yards instead of limiting materials to chain link; councilmembers agreed to send the matter to the planning commission.
A resident who identified her address as 202 North Pine Street asked the Common Council on March 25 to request that the planning commission revisit the city code that limits front-yard fences to 3 feet unless the material is chain link.
The resident said chain link would be allowed at 4 feet but said it would be visually out of character with her older home and that an iron-rod fence would provide comparable visibility while being more compatible with the neighborhood.
"I'm proposing a iron rod fence. ... I don't feel like, especially with my house, a older home, that chain link is going to look very well," the resident said, adding she needs 4 feet because her dogs "are jumpers."
City staff and council members clarified that the Board of Works had previously approved a 4-foot iron-rod fence in a side yard but that the property’s configuration made the Jackson Street side a front yard under the code, which triggers the stricter front-yard material limit. Planning staff member Nathan told the council the issue is on the planning commission agenda for its next meeting and that a council consensus would be sufficient to proceed.
Councilmember consensus supported recommending that the planning commission consider changes to allowed front-yard fence materials and heights to permit visibility-preserving iron-style fencing. No formal ordinance change was made by the council; staff said the planning commission will discuss the matter at its next meeting.
