Zoning board grants Southfield homeowner waiver to replace nonconforming privacy fence

The Southfield Zoning Board of Appeals on Sept. 2, 2025 voted to grant a waiver allowing homeowner Karen Hankle to replace an existing nonconforming six-foot privacy fence at 27624 Shag Bark Drive and have the finished side face inward.

Hankle, the property owner and appellant, told the board she has lived at the address for 41 years and needs a solid fence to contain her dogs and keep wildlife out: "I have a dog... I need to contain them," she said. She said the current wooden posts are deteriorating and she plans to install steel posts and replace the boards with the same design.

City staff had recommended denying the waiver, saying a new survey would allow enough clearance to install a conforming board-on-board fence that presents a finished face on both sides. Staff cited the ordinance (section 5.37-1, article 4, paragraph C1H) and said inward-facing finished boards would be inconsistent with the chapter's spirit.

Board members questioned installation logistics and whether contractors could temporarily remove adjacent vinyl panels to gain access. After confirming that a survey submitted Aug. 18, 2025 shows the fence lies inside Hankle's property line (staff summarized differences between a 2001 survey and the new survey), several members said they had no objection. One board member said the replacement would be an improvement over the existing deteriorated fence. The board voted by voice to grant the waiver and instructed Hankle to secure the required inspections under her existing permit and to provide photos as needed.

The decision allows Hankle to replace the fence with steel posts and replace the boards so the finished side will face inward under the current permit PRFP25-067; the board emphasized compliance with building inspections. The board closed public comment after no members of the public spoke.

The board moved on to the next case after issuing the decision.