Planning commission backs variance for historic‑style fence at 107 Rope Mill Road

The Woodstock Planning Commission on a 5‑1 vote recommended that City Council approve a variance allowing a 60‑inch fence placed atop an 18‑inch knee wall at 107 Rope Mill Road, a property in the downtown historic overlay. Staff had recommended denial because the downtown code limits fences between the street and a principal façade to a maximum height of 40 inches.

The variance request concerned a vacant 1.35‑acre parcel at the corner of Rope Mill Road and Kyle Street where owners John and Erin (Aaron) Grigsby plan to build a two‑story, roughly 7,000‑square‑foot historic‑style single‑family residence. Planning staff presenter Hannah Menard told the commission the fence shown on the submitted site plan would require a variance because it exceeds the downtown 40‑inch maximum.

The Grigsbys told commissioners they initially received city correspondence in 2020 from then‑Community Development Director Brantley Day saying the project could proceed under the lot‑of‑record rules if they dedicated 2 feet of frontage to the city and split the estimated $5,640 cost of a 10‑foot Greenprint trail (their share: $2,820). John Grigsby said he and his wife accepted that arrangement, obtained a site plan under the earlier staff interpretation, and later reworked the plans after COVID and subsequent nearby development plans changed the project. The applicants said the proposed fence and knee wall reflect the house scale, pool safety needs and security for rescued greyhounds they keep on the property.

Public comment was heavily in favor of the Grigsbys’ design. Neighbors and nearby residents — including Rodney Strickland, Paul Tandera, Al Harrington, Dennis Conway and Joe Cook — described the lot as unique within the downtown historic overlay, supported restoring a historic‑style house and argued a taller iron fence would be visually appropriate. One speaker, Courtney Semculli, opposed the variance, citing safety concerns about brick pilasters near a sidewalk and the risk that a 5‑foot fence would not prevent a dog or child from leaving the property.

Commission deliberations focused on two tensions: the downtown code’s clear 40‑inch limit on street‑facing fences and a written 2019–2020 staff communication the applicants relied on that the earlier administration had interpreted as permitting their plan if they completed the dedications and payment. Commissioners said ordinances exist to preserve downtown character but that written commitments from city staff also carry weight. The motion that passed includes these conditions: the property must remain residential for the variance to apply; the Brantley Day 2020 items (two‑foot dedication of right‑of‑way and the $2,820 cost share for the 10‑foot trail) should be memorialized and fulfilled; the fence cannot be constructed before the house is built; and the variance would not carry forward if the property later converts to commercial use. The Planning Commission’s recommendation moves the case to City Council for a final decision.

The commission vote was 5 in favor and 1 opposed (Commissioner Roth opposed). The case will now be considered by City Council at a future meeting. The commission noted applicants and the public may follow the Council agenda for the final vote.

Speakers quoted or paraphrased in this article are drawn from the meeting record and are attributed to the speakers listed below.