Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning Fence Heights topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council approves higher fence height in C (Community Facilities) zone to allow sound mitigation for pickleball courts
Summary
Council unanimously approved an amendment to city code permitting an additional two feet of fence height in the C (Community Facilities) zoning district, a change intended to allow sound‑mitigating fencing at public facilities (the pickleball courts were discussed). Planning Commission and staff supported the change.
The East Lansing City Council voted unanimously July 15 to amend Section 50‑147 of the city zoning code to allow two additional feet of fence height in the C (Community Facilities) zone district.
Planning staff said the request originated from a Zoning Board of Appeals denial of a variance for an 8‑foot fence at a city park; the ZBA noted that higher fencing at community facilities (for example, to mitigate noise at a pickleball court) could be appropriate but that a variance was not the ideal mechanism. The Planning Commission unanimously recommended the zoning change after asking staff to survey how many C‑zoned parcels exist and whether they are city‑owned.
Staff reported the city has 93 C‑zoned parcels and that most are owned by the city; only 14 are privately owned. Council members discussed concerns about high fences creating an enclosing or “compound” effect in other zones but supported limiting the additional height specifically to community facilities, where a legitimate public purpose — such as sound mitigation for a pickleball court — may apply.
Council approved the ordinance change by roll call vote; the amendment was described by staff and commissioners as a narrowly tailored change to permit sound‑attenuating fencing at appropriate community facilities.
