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Edgerton amends UDC R1 standards to limit driveway widths, clarify materials and fence heights
Summary
Council approved an amendment to the Unified Development Code clarifying driveway maximums and materials, limiting residences to one driveway, and setting front-yard and side/rear fence standards; council removed a provision allowing an administrative 50-foot gravel exception and approved the ordinance 3-0.
The Edgerton City Council on Sept. 12 adopted Ordinance No. 2169 amending Article 3 of the Unified Development Code (UDC) for R1 (single-family) districts to clarify driveway and fence standards.
Development Services Director Zach Moore outlined the primary changes: retain the 18-foot minimum driveway width, add a maximum tied to 35% of lot frontage with an overall 30-foot driveway limit and 2.5-foot wings where the driveway meets the roadway, set a 35-foot maximum width at the property line, and prohibit gravel materials within the right-of-way (brick allowed as an accent but not within the right-of-way). Mr. Moore said the code will treat existing gravel and other surfaces as legal nonconforming and allow replacement like-for-like rather than requiring current standards retroactively.
On fences, the amendment sets a 3.5-foot maximum height in front yards with 50% opacity for new development and generally prohibits wire-type materials in the front; side and rear yard fences may be up to 6 feet and may include chain-link or other allowed materials. Staff also proposed limiting a residence to one driveway. Mayor Roberts and staff discussed a proposed administrative exception for gravel beyond 50 feet from the right-of-way; Mayor Roberts and several councilmembers expressed concern about case-by-case exceptions and asked to remove that section. The council approved the ordinance with Section 5.D.I removed, 3-0.
Why it matters: the changes aim to standardize design and materials for driveways and fences in single-family neighborhoods, preserve neighborhood character, and clarify when older nonconforming surfaces may be maintained.
