Zoning board grants Fraser homeowner variance to keep 6-foot privacy fence near McKinley Park

FRASER, Mich. — The City of Fraser Zoning Board of Appeals voted unanimously Thursday to grant a variance allowing resident Laura Griffin Stewart to retain a constructed 6-foot vinyl privacy fence along a 92-foot section of her corner lot at Grove and Hanover, across from McKinley Park.

Planner Lauren presented the application (ZBA 25-0231471) and told the board the request was evaluated under Section 9-3(c) of the Fraser code. Lauren said the property’s wider-than-normal right-of-way and proximity to the park created unique circumstances and that the fence would not, in the planner’s judgment, create a safety hazard or materially impair the public interest. “We recommend CBA grant the request,” Lauren said.

During the public hearing several neighbors objected, saying the fence was erected after a city inspector instructed workers to stop and that the property had a history of code complaints. Kelly Wakefield, a neighbor, said she and others had repeatedly sought enforcement and told the board, “you were told to stop, and you still erected it anyways after they left.” Another neighbor, Gary Wakefield, described repeated calls to code enforcement and concerns about grading and yard maintenance.

Stewart, who identified herself at the hearing, apologized for not completing permit steps before erecting the fence and said extenuating personal circumstances and persistent foot traffic from park events left her with little privacy. “I regret that decision,” she said, adding she had met with planner Lauren and understood the ordinance requirements.

Member S6 moved to approve the variance, citing the unique right-of-way, the need to preserve enjoyment and privacy comparable to other properties in the vicinity, and the finding that clear-vision areas would be maintained. The motion was seconded and the board recorded an affirmative vote by the seven-member panel (Burley, Comenity, Farina, Green, Menendez, Staszek/Stasic, Wall). The board’s action allows the applicant to keep the 6-foot fence as described in the motion.

The clerk explained that issuing stamped plans to the applicant starts the statutory appeal clock tonight; if the board waits to stamp plans, the appeal period begins when meeting minutes are approved, which gives opponents additional time to seek review.

The board noted that final building inspection remains an administrative step: planner Lauren said the approved section will still require a final inspection and that failure to meet inspection standards could result in citations or corrective orders under the city’s permitting process.

The decision concludes the ZBA’s action on ZBA 25-0231471 for the time being; any party wishing to challenge the board’s decision may pursue the appeal procedures described by the clerk.