Paragonah planners delay fencing and accessory‑structure rules pending building‑inspector review

The Paragonah Town Planning Commission on Jan. 28 reviewed proposed updates to rules for accessory buildings and fences and agreed to delay forwarding final language until staff meets with the county building inspector for technical clarifications.

Commissioners noted that the Town Advisory/Appeals/Management board adopted a 35‑foot maximum for accessory building heights and the commission reviewed associated provisions for fences and walls. Speaker 3 said the draft should be explicit about setbacks and whether fences or walls that exceed six feet are treated as structures requiring a building permit. ‘‘If it’s going to be over 6 feet, they're going to have to get a building permit, which we would catch,’’ Speaker 3 said, and asked to meet with the county inspector (identified in discussion as Terry) to reconcile town and county permitting expectations.

The commission debated whether language should say fences and walls ‘shall’ be built to enclose agricultural animals or ‘may’ be built, and how to handle features that look like fences but function as containers or storage (e.g., shipping containers). Members raised concerns about corner lots, sightlines, and situations where residents use nonstandard materials or built structures that straddle the line between fence and accessory structure.

Commissioners agreed to table the fencing item, request clarification from the county building inspector, and return with revised language that clarifies setbacks, permit triggers for structures over six feet, and how the ordinance will treat aviaries, temporary deer fencing, and greenhouse‑like enclosures.

Next steps: staff will meet with the county building inspector and bring clearer draft language to the next meeting before sending the fencing and accessory‑structure updates to the town board.