Applicant Kathleen Tellez seeks front-yard fence; board urges survey and limited placement

At the Hobart City Redevelopment Authority meeting on March 5, 2026, an applicant who identified herself as Kathleen (last name spelled out in the meeting) presented plans to install a fence around a residential lot so her two small dogs could have usable outdoor space. The property was referenced several times in the discussion (Garfield/950 Garfield and 212 South Ash); board members noted the transcript referenced addresses inconsistently and advised the applicant to confirm the correct parcel with a survey.

The Chair and other board members said they were reluctant to allow a fence that extended to the curb or property frontage because permitting such a change could set a precedent for similar requests. "We can't be careful, because if we allow you to do that, then we're setting precedent," the Chair said, urging caution and consistency with the city's ordinance. The applicant said the existing layout and lack of side-yard access made a rear-only solution impracticable and that she recently moved in and is on a fixed income: "I have 2 little dogs and the lot is consumed by the house... I'm trying to provide a little bit of space for my dogs to be able to run around a bit," she said.

Staff explained that front-yard fences had in some cases been grandfathered where they predated the city's ordinance, but that since the fence code change (adopted in 1983, according to staff) the authority has denied many petitions that did not meet the narrow, land-based hardship criteria. "Those extraordinary circumstances in order to apply have to do with the land," a staff member said, adding that economic or health reasons alone are not the ordinance's basis for exception.

Board members and staff reviewed aerial and street views (the meeting referenced "ZendGIS" for mapping) and pointed out a neighbor's existing fence that reaches toward the sidewalk; they noted that presence alone does not guarantee approval for a new front-yard fence. As a practical alternative, members suggested bringing a fence up to the front corner of the house rather than to the property line at the curb, or exploring side-yard access options such as adding a man door in the garage so the rear or side yard could be used.

The board advised the applicant to secure a formal property survey to establish exact boundaries and to work with the building department on permitted locations and required documentation. Staff said an existing survey could be accepted if the applicant already has one; otherwise a new survey would be required before the variance could proceed.

The meeting did not record a final vote on a variance application; the board's direction was procedural and advisory: obtain a survey, coordinate with the building department, and resubmit with clarified plans and required public-notification materials if applicable. The next procedural step for the applicant is to provide a certified survey and consult with building department staff.