Residents seek variance for 6-foot chain-link fence next to bike trail

Nadine and Ben Mashburn of 308 W. Liberty St. asked the Lowellville Zoning Board on May 13, 2025, for a variance to install a 6-foot chain-link fence on a side lot where Ordinance 1325.03 currently permits only a 4-foot fence.

"The bike trail is right there; my dog can jump a 4-foot fence, and there are kids," said Ben Mashburn, explaining the applicants’ safety and containment concerns and why they want a taller barrier.

Chair Bob Coppola read Ordinance 1325.03 into the record to remind the board and applicants of the 4-foot limit for fences in the applicable location. The Mashburns told the board they are in a rent-to-own arrangement and that J&J Fence would perform the installation. Board members and staff informed them a building permit will be required and that either J&J Fence or the Mashburns may apply for that permit.

During a review of aerial imagery from the Mahoning County Auditor’s site, the board noted the parcel appears to consist of two lots and advised the applicants to replat the property to resolve the lot-line issue before the variance can proceed. The board also advised the Mashburns they will need a letter from the property owner authorizing a 6-foot chain-link fence because the applicants are rent-to-own rather than the deeded owners.

No formal motion or vote on the variance was recorded at the hearing; the board’s guidance focused on procedural steps the Mashburns must complete (replatting and obtaining owner authorization) prior to a permit application. Chair Coppola adjourned the hearing at the conclusion of the discussion.

Next steps: the applicants were advised to pursue a replat of the two lots, provide the board with a property-owner authorization letter, and submit a permit application for the proposed fence once those conditions are met.