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Johnstown zoning board approves fence variance for 2 Mason Street with conditions
Summary
The Zoning Board of Appeals approved a variance for 2 Mason Street allowing six-foot fencing along the Perry Street and rear sides while limiting most Mason Street frontage to four feet; final setbacks must be set by the Code Enforcement Office before a permit is issued.
The Johnstown Zoning Board of Appeals on April 16 approved a variance allowing six-foot fencing along the Perry Street and rear sides of 2 Mason Street, while limiting most of the Mason Street frontage to four feet, according to meeting minutes.
The action followed an application from an unnamed property owner seeking relief from the city’s front-yard fence-height rules after purchasing an adjacent parcel to be combined with an existing residential parcel. The applicant said the fencing was intended "primarily to provide privacy, noise reduction and visual buffering" from high traffic and activity near the fire department and surrounding roadway traffic.
Larry O’Regan, the fire chief and code enforcement officer, advised the board that both Perry and Mason streets have established right-of-way widths of approximately 60 feet and that setbacks are measured from the roadway centerline. O’Regan told the board that strict application of those setbacks could significantly reduce the parcel’s usable area, making standard fence placement impractical.
Board members discussed precedent and sight-line safety before agreeing on a compromise. "Six-foot fencing shall be permitted along the rear and Perry Street sides of the property," Board Member Judy Swatt moved, and the motion—seconded by Board Member Robert Salamack—passed unanimously, 4-0. The board allowed one or two six-foot fence panels near the Mason Street corner, with the remainder of the Mason Street frontage reduced to four feet to preserve visibility.
The board required that all required setbacks be determined and approved by the Code Enforcement Office prior to permit issuance and that the variance include both height and setback relief as discussed. Minutes note that landscaping or shrubbery behind or between fencing sections was recommended to reduce the appearance of a continuous solid barrier and that natural vegetation taller than permitted fencing may be installed behind permitted fencing without further variances.
Votes at a glance • Approval of minutes (Nov. 20, 2025): Motion by Board Member Robert Gallt; seconded by Board Member Robert Salamack; vote 4-0 in favor. • Variance for 2 Mason Street (fence height and setbacks): Motion by Board Member Judy Swatt; seconded by Board Member Robert Salamack; vote 4-0 in favor. Conditions require Code Enforcement Office approval of setbacks prior to permit issuance. • Adjournment: Motion by Board Member Robert Salamack; seconded by Board Member Judy Swatt; vote 4-0 in favor.
The board’s action addresses property-specific concerns while attempting to limit the precedent for six-foot front-yard fencing across other city frontages. The Code Enforcement Office will set and approve the specific setback distances before any building permit is issued.
