Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning Variance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Moraine BZA approves 6-foot privacy fence at 3306 Outdoor Road over neighbor concerns
Summary
The City of Moraine Board of Zoning Appeals on July 7 approved a variance allowing a six-foot wood privacy fence at 3306 Outdoor Road, overriding neighbors' concerns about lot extension and paving; the vote was 5-0. Staff said the BZA's authority was limited to fence height and length, not rezoning.
The City of Moraine Board of Zoning Appeals approved a variance on July 7 allowing a six-foot wood privacy fence to be installed at 3306 Outdoor Road, voting unanimously in favor.
Staff told the board the appellant requested the variance because front-yard rules in the Magrane codified ordinances limit ornamental fence height to 3 feet and total frontage coverage to 50 percent, and the proposed fence would exceed those limits. The staff report identified the location as 3306 Outdoor Road in an R-2 district and said the technical review committee had no objection after meeting on June 24, 2026.
The applicant, who said he filed the permit, told the board the fence would screen street department equipment visible from Main Street and would allow the street garage to park trailers and extra equipment behind the fence. "Iput in the permit for it," the applicant said, describing the project as a response to storm damage and a way to "put a prettier picture on the city" when drivers pass Main Street. He and staff said the extended area would be surfaced with a removable crushed blacktop so it could be returned to grass if the city later chose to develop the lots.
Nearby residents raised concerns about how far the fenced area would extend and whether the added space would be paved. "I'm Erica Watts. I live at 3313 Outdoor Road," one neighbor said, asking for reassurance that the fence would not cross the street and whether the extension would remain grass. Tom Watts of 3306 Outdoor Road told the board the city's use of the parcel could amount to a temporary easement or special use and warned that any plan to place equipment on the residential lots could require a separate rezoning or special-use approval.
Staff repeatedly clarified that the BZA was considering only the fenceits height and lengthand not any rezoning or special-use requests for the underlying lots. The staff presentation referenced Magrane codified ordinance provisions governing front-yard fence height and frontage limits and noted the property now appears on the zoning map as R-2.
After closing the public hearing, the board took a motion to approve the variance; the motion was seconded and a roll call vote recorded five 'yes' votes from Missus Duff, Mister Hamilton, Mister Bernard, Missus Bond and Mister Kempe. The board closed its business and adjourned at 6:17 p.m.
The variance permits a six-foot privacy-style fence that will be taller than the 3-foot front-yard limit in the cited ordinance and may cover more than 50 percent of the lot frontage; staff said the fence would be removable and the surface treatment temporary. Any rezoning or formal change to the property's use would require a separate process and was not before the board.
