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Variance granted for 6-foot privacy fence at 1501 Oconee Avenue with sight‑triangle condition
Summary
The board approved a variance permitting a 6-foot privacy fence closer than the usual 10-foot corner setback at 1501 Oconee Avenue, and required that the fence not obstruct the traffic sight triangle at the intersection.
The Board of Zoning Appeals approved a variance on Aug. 28 to allow a 6‑foot privacy fence at 1501 Oconee Avenue to be located 4 feet from the corner-front property line along Church Street, but required that the fence meet the 10-foot setback within the traffic sight triangle for safety.
City staff explained that the corner parcel is subject to corner-front setbacks and that a 6-foot privacy fence may be installed in a corner front yard only with a 10-foot setback to preserve visibility at the intersection. Kim, the city staff member, said staff would require the 6-foot fence to meet the 10-foot setback at least within the site triangle for safety reasons.
Property owner Sean Butler told the board he sought the fence placement to preserve trees and reduce trash and encampment activity behind the bushes near Church Street: "We're having a lot of problems with people depositing materials in the bushes like needles, beer bottles, trash. People even sleeping behind the bushes," Butler said. Supporters who live nearby said similar fences exist close to the sidewalk on adjacent blocks and testified they had been approved in past cases.
The board asked that, if the fence is placed close to the corner, the finished side face Church Street and any portion that approaches the intersection remain outside the sight triangle. A motion to approve the variance carried with the condition that the fence remain clear of the site triangle used for intersection safety and that the finished side face Church Street as required by the UDO.
