Emigration Canyon resident seeks exception for front-yard fence; commission defers decision to July

Emily Plew, a homeowner on Emigration Canyon Road, asked the Emigration Canyon Planning Commission on Thursday, June 12, 2025, for exceptions to local fence rules so she can install a cedar front-yard fence and privacy screen along the road.

Plew said the stretch of Emigration Canyon Road by her house is “heavily trafficked with bicyclists and motorcyclists, especially on weekends. And so it makes being out in the front yard nearly impossible,” and that she is seeking an exception to recent ordinance changes that would otherwise limit fence height and require greater setbacks and horizontal articulation.

The commission’s discussion focused on three practical issues: whether the proposed fence would sit inside the county right-of-way, how the ordinance’s 20-foot setback and minimum horizontal articulation requirements apply at this property, and how landscaping could be used to soften a taller fence. Commissioners who reviewed the materials said the proposed simple, horizontal design (option B in Plew’s packet) would be acceptable in appearance, but noted…