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Decatur ZBA approves trimmed fence height for 447 East Lake Drive, limits placement
Summary
The Zoning Board of Appeals approved a variance for a privacy fence at 447 East Lake Drive but limited the maximum height to 6 feet and required the fence line be pulled back to match the neighboring west-side fence to preserve visibility at the corner.
The Decatur Zoning Board of Appeals on April 14 approved a variance to allow a privacy fence at 447 East Lake Drive, but set conditions to protect sight lines at the corner. The board limited the fence height to 6 feet and required it be set no closer to the front of the house than 10 feet, consistent with plans and neighborhood visibility concerns.
Alexis Lammer, who said she owns the property, told the board the house had been converted from a duplex to a single-family home and that the bedrooms on the side facing East Lake Drive lack privacy. "It's a lot of for privacy and security sake," Lammer said, explaining why she sought a taller barrier near a busy dog-park street. She also described a retaining wall on the sidewalk and the impact of moving the fence on her small, long lot.
Planning staff noted the property previously had an older, smaller privacy fence and that portions of the prior layout were nonconforming. Board members and staff discussed sight-line and safety issues at the intersection: one member emphasized the code's visibility purpose for corner lots and asked whether adjacent neighbors supported the change; another said a two-foot block wall plus a six-foot fence would achieve the applicant's privacy goal without creating an overwhelming wall along the street. The board balanced those concerns by approving a conditional variance.
The motion approved the variance "subject to plans as submitted" and added conditions that the fence may not exceed 6 feet in height and may not extend closer to the front of the house than 10 feet. The chair urged the applicant to follow the approved plan and wished the applicant well with the project. The ZBA recorded the motion as approved.
The board cited the applicable fence standard in the Unified Development Ordinance (Section 7.2.0.1) when discussing the case. The applicant may proceed as conditioned and must obtain any required permits and inspections before construction.
