Neighbors urge Menards to finish fence after store leaves gap; city says rezoning limits what it can require

Bowling Green — Neighbors who live behind the Menards site told the Board of Commission on Sept. 16 that a stop in fencing at the rear of the store has created a “gateway” that funnels people through yards and has led to trespassing, theft and safety concerns.

Leanne Kerr, who identified herself as a Price Avenue resident, said the absence of a continuous fence behind Menards has changed daily life for several neighbors. “The lack of fencing where they stop the fence has created basically a gateway, for our neighborhood,” Kerr said. “It’s funneling people through on a consistent basis all times of the day and night.”

Hannah Tibbs, whose home sits adjacent to the open section, described multiple incidents and provided staff with photos and a police call record. “I came out to get in my car one day and a man in a black mask and a black hood came up and ran at me,” Tibbs said. “He stood outside laughing. I called the police. They rode off and the police never found him.”

Residents asked the commission to require Menards to extend the fence to the end of the private parcel that backs the neighborhood. City staff and the city attorney said they have pursued the issue with Menards management but that the rezoning and development approvals applied to the store’s parcel only and did not require extension of the fence along the neighboring parcel that remains single‑family zoned.

City Attorney Hillary summarized the legal constraint: staff found that the rezoning request covered the Menards parcel and not the adjacent single‑family parcel that creates the remaining open boundary, so Menards is not legally obligated to extend the fence where the city lacks zoning authority over that adjacent parcel. Hillary told the commission she had researched development conditions and said licensed store management indicated they lack the corporate authority at the store level to make the requested change.

Jeff Meisel, the city manager, and other commissioners said they have contacted Menards management and asked for further cooperation. Commissioner comments reflected sympathy for residents and a desire to push Menards to help. Meisel said staff has asked Menards if it would donate materials so a resident’s contractor could build a fence; Menards’ local manager has been “very nice” but higher‑level approval has not been granted, Meisel said.

Menards and next steps Mr. Williams, who spoke for neighborhood concerns and who said he had worked with city staff, noted repeated incidents and urged the company to complete the barrier. City staff said they would continue to press the company and review the record of the rezoning hearing and development conditions to confirm whether the commission’s earlier intent matched the current development plan. Staff also said they would seek escalation to corporate contacts and requested that residents continue to share photographic evidence and police reports.

Why it matters Residents said the gap has created daily safety concerns — people in yards, break‑ins of outbuildings, drug paraphernalia and visits by strangers — and that the discontinuous fence has shifted the neighborhood’s sense of safety. City staff said they are constrained by what the development approvals required and by property‑line limits but committed to continued outreach and review of the development record.

Ending The commission heard the public comments during the meeting’s public‑comment period and did not take immediate binding action to compel Menards to extend fencing; staff said it will pursue follow up with Menards’ corporate contacts and revisit the development record. Residents asked for further city assistance and documentation of discussion in the commission record.