The Dallas Board of Adjustment on March 18 granted a special exception allowing 6 feet 6 inches high fences at 7403 Midbury Drive (BDA245‑033) and separately denied, without prejudice, an application element for less‑than‑50% openness within five feet of the front lot line.

Rob Baldwin presented the application on behalf of Ambassador Mark Stanley (recent U.S. ambassador to Argentina), who testified he and his family had been advised by security personnel to limit pedestrian access through a portal on the property and to raise certain fence sections for safety. Baldwin said most of the proposed frontage fence would be open decorative iron and that solid (less open) elements would be set well behind the curb and more than five feet from the front lot line.

Board members voted 4‑0 (one member recused) to grant the 6'6" height special exceptions for the Midbury and Saint Michael’s frontages after finding the applicant had engaged neighbors and the proposed fence would not adversely affect adjacent properties. The board then voted 4‑0 to deny, without prejudice, the opacity portion of the request; the applicant had requested reduced panel openness for portions that would be less than five feet from the property line, but the applicant withdrew that portion of the request during the hearing and the board formally denied it without prejudice.

Votes at a glance: BDA245‑033 (7403 Midbury Drive) — Grant fence height special exception (6'6") on Midbury and on Saint Michael’s Drive (each approved 4‑0; Board member Hopkovich recused). Opacity request denied without prejudice 4‑0.

Context and next steps: The Stanley family will receive written confirmation of the board’s rulings. The board conditioned its approvals on compliance with the most recently submitted plans. The applicant and neighbors are expected to coordinate final fence materials and locations as part of the building‑permit process.