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Sellersburg board hears request for 12‑foot wildlife fence at Clark Regional Airport
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Summary
An applicant asked the Sellersburg Board of Zoning Appeals to allow a 12‑foot chain‑link wildlife fence with barbed wire around Clark Regional Airport, citing FAA design criteria and wildlife strikes; staff recommended approval with conditions and the board moved to approve the variance.
Curtis Brown of Wilpert Engineers told the Sellersburg Board of Zoning Appeals that the airport is seeking a variance to install a 12‑foot perimeter wildlife fence, explaining it follows FAA design criteria intended to reduce wildlife incursions on the airfield.
The request, filed as petition 2026‑03‑DV‑02, would allow the fence to exceed the Sellersburg Unified Development Ordinance’s 10‑foot maximum by two feet to accommodate three strands of barbed wire and a wildlife skirt. Brown said the change is a safety measure prompted by several wildlife incidents at Clark Regional Airport and that Clark County planning and zoning previously approved the portion of the project in its jurisdiction.
Staff presented the board with an analysis tied to Indiana Code and Sellersburg’s UDO and recommended approval, finding the proposed fence is a safety‑related infrastructure improvement, does not change the parcel’s use, and is supported by an FAA environmental assessment. Staff suggested conditions including limiting the approval to the application as submitted, requiring installation substantially in accordance with the submitted plans, obtaining any required permits and agency approvals (floodplain, drainage, airport), and ensuring compliance with all other applicable federal, state and local requirements.
Board members asked clarifying questions about the perimeter and whether the fence would run along Silver Creek and the Bean Road side of the airport; Brown confirmed the installation covers the entire perimeter within the town limits. At one point a board member summarized the safety imperative: “We don’t want deer on the runway when somebody’s trying to land planes.”
After discussion, a board member moved to approve the petition under the variance criteria, the motion was seconded, and the board voted to pass the petition. The approval was conditioned on adherence to the submitted plans and any required permits and agency approvals, per staff’s recommended conditions.
Next steps: the project may proceed only after the applicant obtains the permits and approvals noted by staff and installs the fence as represented in the application materials.
