Board denies request for 8‑foot privacy fence on David Drive
Loading...
Summary
The board denied a two‑foot height variance that would have allowed a 70‑foot section of 8‑foot PVC privacy fence on David Drive, citing lack of demonstrated hardship and concerns about altering the neighborhood’s character; neighbors had raised aesthetic and scope concerns.
The Fort Thomas Board of Adjustment voted on Wednesday to deny a request to install a 70‑foot section of 8‑foot privacy fence on David Drive.
Staff told the board that the permit application described a PVC privacy fence and identified a left‑side segment of roughly 70 feet for an 8‑foot height, where the city’s maximum allowed fence height is 6 feet. Applicant representative Zach Da Silva said the higher section was proposed to give privacy in a lower portion of the lot. Several neighbors, including Jeff DeRosette, asked the board to limit any approval to a clearly specified 70‑foot segment and expressed concern about the fence’s material and visibility from adjacent properties.
Board members probed whether sufficient hardship had been demonstrated for an 8‑foot fence and whether similar heights existed in the immediate vicinity. Multiple members said they did not see evidence of a unique hardship and expressed concern that an 8‑foot height would alter the essential character of the area. One member moved to deny the variance; after discussion, the board voted to deny the request. The chair instructed staff to follow up with the applicants about alternative options and clarified that any future expansion beyond the specified 70‑foot segment would require a return to the board.
Neighbors and the board discussed property pins and survey markers during the hearing; staff said that a condition of approval could have limited any taller fence to the stated 70‑foot segment, but no change of that sort was approved.
