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Commission tentatively approves 5-foot fence variance on Rockhurst Way, continues to Feb. 12 for written findings
Summary
After lengthy discussion about lot size, neighborhood precedent and safety, the Planning Commission tentatively granted the Hansen appeal for a 5-foot open-style fence at 6107 Rockhurst Way and directed staff to return with formal findings and CEQA action at a continued hearing on Feb. 12.
The Placer County Planning Commission took tentative action to grant an appeal and approve a fence-height variance for 6107 Rockhurst Way in Granite Bay, directing staff to return on February 12 with written findings and the appropriate California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) determination.
Supervising Planner Anne Marie Novotny summarized the appeal of the zoning administrator's September 2025 denial: the property is 0.68 acres in the RSAGB40 zone, and the applicant had partially constructed a 5-foot tubular-steel fence within the front yard/road easement. The appellant argued the parcel is materially smaller and sited differently than surrounding lots, that a 3-foot fence would not provide containment for children or pets or allow functional gate configurations, and that adjacent properties have 5-foot fences creating a neighborhood continuity argument.
Staff recommended denial of the appeal, concluding the appellant had not shown the required special circumstances or that a 5-foot fence within the front setback represented the minimum departure from the code. Staff noted one adjacent property had received a prior variance and another fence's history on the record was unclear; staff also confirmed a county encroachment or hold-harmless permit could be issued for fencing in the public easement if the commission permitted the height.
Owners David and Annie Hanson told the commission their lot is the smallest on the block, the house sits unusually far forward, and a 50-foot setback for a 5-foot fence would eliminate most of their front yard, impede driveway and equipment access for tree maintenance and make a proper gate unusable. Annie Hanson said the proposed fence is an open wrought-iron design intended to "maintain visibility while creating clear, consistent boundaries" and to align with adjacent properties.
Commissioners debated competing considerations: equity with neighboring properties that already have taller fences, the strict statutory findings required for a variance (which focus on physical site characteristics), safety arguments related to children and parked cars, and the risk of setting precedent. Several commissioners said aesthetics and continuity are persuasive to them, but staff and some commissioners emphasized that aesthetics alone do not satisfy the required legal findings.
After an initial recorded vote and further discussion, the commission rescinded earlier action and made a tentative decision to grant the appeal and approve the variance, directing staff to return on Feb. 12 at 9 a.m. with the written findings and CEQA determination necessary to finalize the action. The tentative motion passed on roll call 5-2.
The matter is continued; staff will prepare the written findings and any required environmental analysis for the Feb. 12 meeting. Until the findings are adopted, the variance approval is tentative and subject to the commission's final action at the continued hearing.
The commission closed the hearing and adjourned the meeting.
