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Pataskala P&Z recommends fence‑code updates to city council
Summary
The Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval of ZONDash25Dash005, a package of amendments to Chapter 12 that defines finished‑side fencing, clarifies materials and maintenance rules, restricts barbed wire to commercial/agricultural uses, and adds guidance on fences in utility easements.
The Pataskala Planning & Zoning Commission on Dec. 3 recommended that City Council consider a zoning‑code amendment (ZONDash25Dash005) to update fence regulations across the city.
Staff presented changes to Chapter 12 that add definitions (for example, 'fence' and 'wall' and 'finished side'), set material standards to discourage ad‑hoc materials such as pallets or scrap metal, limit barbed wire and electric fences to certain nonresidential districts, and clarify maintenance obligations. The proposed amendment also contains rules allowing fences to cross property lines when multiple lots are under common ownership and includes guidance for temporary construction fences and community garden fences.
A specific staff note addressed fences placed within utility easements: utilities retain the right to access easements for maintenance and may remove fences placed there without replacing them. The regional water district requested explicit language to protect access in utility easements; staff incorporated clarifying text.
Commissioners raised practical questions about the finished‑side definition, agricultural‑fence rules (Ohio Revised Code Ch. 971), grandfathering of preexisting fences and enforcement of maintenance standards. Staff said preexisting fences that do not meet new requirements would be grandfathered but must be maintained in good repair. After discussion, a commissioner moved and the commission voted to recommend approval of the amendments to council.
The recommendation will now be forwarded to City Council for consideration and final adoption.
