Applicant seeking front-yard fence told to obtain survey; board cites ordinance and precedent

Kathleen Tellez told the Hobart City Redevelopment Authority she wants to place a fence from the front of her house back to the alley so her two small dogs can access a side strip of yard. "I have 2 little dogs and the lot is consumed by house mostly all the way back to the alley," Tellez said while showing images of the proposed layout.

Board members said the city’s ordinance generally does not permit fences that extend into front yards and warned that approving a front-yard extension could set a precedent. "If we allow you to do that, then we're setting precedent," the Chair said, explaining that prior allowances were limited to situations where the house sat unusually far back on the lot or the fence predated the ordinance.

Members suggested alternatives and next steps: position the fence to the front of the house rather than up to the property line, consider adding a man-door in the garage to access the side yard, and obtain a stamped property survey to confirm property lines. Staff advised Tellez to consult the building department and submit any existing survey with her application; the board did not record a formal vote on the variance at this meeting.

The board cited the 1983 ordinance adoption as the baseline for grandfathering existing front-yard fences and emphasized consistency with neighborhood character when considering exceptions. The meeting closed with the applicant advised to return with a survey and more detailed plans if she wishes the board to consider a variance.