Palmetto Bay eases approval process for 8-foot residential fences

The Palmetto Bay village council has simplified the process for homeowners to obtain approval to install 8-foot fences, allowing the planning and zoning department to grant exceptions that previously required a variance at a zoning hearing, a resident said.

The announcement noted that the village code allows fences up to 6 feet high as a matter of right. "Now, while the process is still considered a variance from our code, residents with a legitimate reason for requesting a taller fence can get approval straight from the planning and zoning department," the resident said, adding that the change should make gaining additional privacy "simpler and faster."

The change, as described by the resident, does not alter the underlying code height limit; it changes how requests for exceptions to that limit are processed. Under the new approach, staff in the planning and zoning department can review and approve requests for fences taller than 6 feet when homeowners provide a legitimate reason, rather than sending every request to a formal zoning hearing for a variance.

The announcement did not specify when the council adopted the procedural change, whether any formal vote took place in public session, or what documentation homeowners must submit when applying for department-level approval. Residents seeking an exception should contact the Palmetto Bay planning and zoning department for application requirements and timing.

No additional action or vote was recorded in the transcript of this announcement.