ZBA deadlocks on variance for 6-foot fence installed at 985 West Wooster; request denied

The Bowling Green City Zoning Board of Appeals voted 3–3 on a variance request for a six-foot privacy fence at 985 West Wooster Street that had already been erected. Because the vote was tied, the board announced the variance had not been approved.

The board heard from the property owner, contractor and planning staff about a protracted permit exchange, the fence’s placement on a lot with frontage on three streets and a disagreement over which sides of the lot should be treated as front yards for setback purposes. Staff said the fence is compliant in most locations but extends past the front-facing elevation of the neighboring house on an adjacent lot, which triggers the variance requirement under section 150.79 of the zoning code.

Contractor Aaron Valentine of Nex Fence testified that he and his crew…