Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning Variance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Brimfield BZA grants homeowners variance to keep 6-foot fence in easement, owners must pay replacement costs
Summary
The Brimfield Township Board of Zoning Appeals granted Josh and Brittany Goldner a variance allowing a 6-foot fence to remain inside a utility/drainage easement at 2313 Cranberry Creek Road, provided the owners pay to replace the fence if it must be removed for easement access.
The Brimfield Township Board of Zoning Appeals on Aug. 20 approved a variance allowing a fence to remain inside a utility and drainage easement at 2313 Cranberry Creek Road, Ravenna, Ohio.
Josh Goldner, one of the property owners, told the board the existing fence — which the homeowners plan to replace with white vinyl from the current black aluminum — sits in an easement they and the contractor did not realize existed. He said the fence footprint will not change, the new fence would be 6 feet tall and the family wants the barrier to secure two dogs and prevent children from reaching into the yard.
Under the township zoning provision cited by staff, “Resolution Section 510.01 (F)(2) Construction in Easements,” permanent structures in easements are generally prohibited if they interfere with utilities or drainage. Chairman Bruce Knippenberg noted the board’s authority to allow exceptions but warned the applicants the fence could be removed if access to the easement were required. Josh Goldner acknowledged the owners would be responsible for replacing the fence if it had to be taken out for easement work.
Pat Blair moved to grant the variance with that replacement condition; Vince Murdocco seconded and the motion passed unanimously. The board recorded the action as MOTION#2025-42 and, according to the minutes, all members in attendance voted in favor (Knippenberg, Murdocco, Phillips, Shutty and Blair). Clayton Popik was absent.
The variance applies to Parcel 04-027-10-00-058-072, zoned R-3, at 2313 Cranberry Creek Road. The minutes record the applicants’ explanation that the permit had not been obtained because neither contractor nor homeowners were aware of the easement when the fence was placed.
No additional conditions or follow-up tasks were recorded in the minutes beyond the owners’ responsibility to replace the fence if removed. The board’s next meeting is scheduled for Sept. 17, 2025.
