The Greenville Board of Adjustments recently held a public hearing on a request from Allen and Holli Holtsford for a variance to erect a fence over the city’s front yard height restrictions.
The property is at 801 South Fourth Street, which is a corner lot.
By a vote of 3 to 1, the board overrode the recommendation of city staff to deny the request.
The motion to recommend the variance to the city council was approved by Adam Wells, Rena Ward and Jeff Sedlacek. Chris Wagner voted no.
Allen Holtsford explained the request is to replace the current four-foot high chain link fence with a six-foot wood fence to ensure his dog does not roam, since the animal control officer has deemed the dog to be a danger and the current fence is not adequate.
City Code Enforcement Officer Joe Craver indicated the request for the taller fence exceeds the height limit by 2 feet, is not consistent with the aesthetic standards in the city’s code, and could cause a potential hazard by limiting the view of the property from the street for first responders and other public safety officers.
Wagner, who is involved with the local ambulance service, agreed there could be problems seeing the property from the street with a wooden fence six-foot high.
Due to the configuration of the property on a corner there were questions raised about what is actually the front yard.
The city council will consider the recommendation at its November 14 meeting.
