Residents who received violation notices regarding fences that pose safety issues for pedestrians should wait before getting out a chainsaw.
After discussing the city's fence and zoning ordinance, commissioners asked Chief Building Official Jason Craig to research options on how to handle sight problems with fences and report back at next the commission meeting on July 8.
At issue are fences, typically on corner lots, that obstruct the vision of drivers backing out of driveways. The city’s fence ordinance states that opaque fences located within 10-feet of an intersection of a driveway and public sidewalk cannot be more than 3-feet in height.
Commissioner Jim Rasor asked building officials to look at alternatives, including parabolic mirrors, audio signals and signs, to address the issue. If a buying a $15 mirror solves the issue of sightlines, why should residents pay hundreds of dollars to modify a fence, he said.
In the meantime, the estimated 100 homeowners who received notices should expect a letter from the city stating the commission is studying the problem.
“The problem we have is we have a lot of violation notices out there that people are waiting for us to do something about,” said Mayor Jim Ellison. The mayor and others at the table have been inundated with emails and phone calls since the violation notices went out.
"Anyone who’s got a notice out there can just sit on it until we come up with some kind of solution," Ellison said.
Commissioner Mike Fournier, supported notifiying residents the fence issue is on hold, noting that people "will be a little bit angry if they take a chainsaw to their fence and then find out later."
The mayor also discouraged anyone who received a fence violation from filing an appeal with the Zoning Board of Appeals while commission looks for alternate solution.
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