Planning commission reviews draft fence-code revisions; staff to return with formal text amendment

The Canby Planning Commission met in a work session to discuss proposed revisions to the city's fence code. Planning Manager Ryan Potter presented staff's draft edits and said the session was intended to collect commission feedback before staff prepares a formal text amendment for a noticed hearing.

"Tonight we're gonna talk about fence standards for the last time in a work session," Potter said, summarizing staff's goal of moving the draft toward a formal ordinance. He told commissioners staff will review the draft with the city attorney and return the revised code for public hearing and a recommendation to city council.

The commission focused first on safety rules the draft now places at the start of the chapter. Potter said staff moved a vision-clearance provision to the top of the section "to emphasize how important that was," and stressed that the provision "applies in all zones and in all lot configurations." Commissioners asked staff to clarify how vision-triangle requirements interact with allowances for taller backyard fences on corner and through lots.

Commissioners and staff discussed several substantive points in the draft: - Vision clearance and step-downs: The draft keeps vision-clearance requirements that reduce fence height within the triangular sight lines at…