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Yarmouth committee approves privacy fence at 25 Freeman Road despite aesthetic concerns
Summary
After divided neighborhood reaction, the Old Kings Highway Committee approved a pressure-treated horizontal-board privacy fence at 25 Freeman Road on July 13, 2026, citing safety for the owners’ young child and the fence’s limited road visibility, though members encouraged screening and noted horizontal boards are atypical for the district.
Ian Butler and Leonie Littlelex won committee approval on July 13 for a privacy fence at 25 Freeman Road, a retroactive certificate that the owners said was installed to keep their two-year-old son and future pets safe. Committee members debated the fence’s horizontal-board orientation and prominence before approving it by majority vote.
Butler (speaker 10) apologized for not obtaining prior approval and described constructing one side with AccuFence posts and finishing the outward-facing side, saying the finished face would weather to gray and that the couple planned vines and climbing roses to soften the appearance. He cited cost constraints for cedar stockade alternatives: “We just couldn't afford that.”
Several neighbors sent letters both supporting and opposing the fence. One abutter called the structure “not intrusive” and praised its care; another warned a similar fence elsewhere had been denied and argued horizontal boards are not traditional for the district. Committee members noted the district’s fencing guidelines list vertical flat boards and other traditional patterns for exemption certificates and described horizontal boards as atypical, but also weighed site specifics: the property sits on a cul‑de‑sac and much of the fence is set back from the road.
The committee approved the certificate and encouraged the owners to plant screening vegetation and to coordinate any future changes with staff. The decision included a recorded dissent; owners were reminded that any changes should be run by the historic-district office before implementation.
What’s next: The owners plan to pursue screening plantings (ivy/roses) to minimize visibility; any future fence changes should be reviewed by staff before construction.
