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Planning commission approves taller fence for Island Road homeowner after neighbor harassment claims
Summary
The Morgan City Planning Commission voted to allow a homeowner on Island Road to raise a wood privacy fence above the 6-foot ordinance limit after the applicant said a neighbor repeatedly harassed the family and rode a horse near the backyard.
The Morgan City Planning Commission on May 20 approved a request to allow a residential fence taller than the 6-foot limit at a property on Island Road after the applicant described repeated harassment by a nearby neighbor.
The applicant, Alex Malevich, told the commission he sought permission to raise a fence to roughly 7 feet 3 inches on the east side of his property to prevent a neighbor from looking into his backyard while riding a horse. “We just would like a taller than 6 foot fence because of the action she's taking, getting on her horse and doing what she's doing,” Malevich said during the meeting.
Commissioners discussed precedent and consistency with the city’s fence code before voting. Commissioner Mark Wheatley said he had inspected the existing fence and called it “very attractive, well made,” and supported the request. Another commissioner raised concerns about opening precedent for taller fences if approvals were granted simply because neighbors did not get along.
City staff had noted that the municipal code caps residential fences at 6 feet without commission approval and that an 8-foot fence would require engineering sign-off; the applicant requested a height under that threshold. Staff also noted that 6 feet is the standard in the code and the commission has discretion to approve up to 8 feet.
After discussion, a motion to grant the request was made and seconded; the chair stated the vote was unanimous and the motion passed. The approval permits the property owner to exceed the 6-foot standard within the parameters discussed at the meeting; the commission did not record individual roll-call votes in the public discussion beyond the motion and second.
The applicant said the taller fence is intended as a temporary safety and privacy measure while the neighbor's tenancy situation continues: “When they do [move], I'm more than happy to drop it back down to 6,” Malevich said. The commission did not add additional conditions beyond the height approval and did not require engineering because the requested height was below the 8-foot threshold that triggers engineering review.
