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Planning commission recommends approval of six-foot privacy fence with condition to reverse facing
Summary
The Cannon Falls Planning Commission recommended approval of a variance allowing a property owner to install a six-foot privacy fence along an alley, provided the fence be reinstalled so the finished (smooth) side faces outward to comply with city practice and code requirements. The recommendation was filed as Resolution 2026-08.
The Cannon Falls Planning Commission on June 1 recommended approval of a variance to allow a six-foot privacy fence to surround a residential yard that abuts an alley, conditioning the approval on reorienting the fence so the finished side faces outward.
Staff member Izzy described the request to the commission, saying the application seeks to allow a six-foot fence “all the way around their yard” because the property’s lot configuration makes the authenticated side yard provision ambiguous. Izzy told commissioners the fence is located behind the applicant’s garage and is outside the traffic visibility triangle, and that the alley is “really not utilized” by traffic.
Why it matters: city code limits fence height to 4 feet where a side yard abuts a public right-of-way, including alleys. The staff explanation and the applicant’s lot layout created the basis for a variance request to permit a full six-foot privacy fence despite the code’s general limit.
Commission discussion focused on code compliance and neighborliness. Several commissioners said the fence had been installed with the support posts or unfinished side facing outward — a common installation error — and argued the applicant should correct that if the variance is approved. One commissioner summarized the practical concern: whether requiring the facing to be turned would force replacement of the entire fence or only the exposed sections.
Planning Commission member Kobach moved to recommend approval of the variance as Resolution 2026-08, with the condition that the fence be reinstalled so the smooth/finished side faces outward. Planning Commission member Douglas seconded the motion. The commission voted to approve the recommendation; the record in the transcript indicates the motion carried.
The commission also approved the meeting agenda and minutes earlier in the session and confirmed its next meeting for July 13, 2026. The recommendation on Resolution 2026-08 will move forward to the city council for final action under the usual approval process.
