05-14-2025 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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STAFF REPORT TO: Mayor Fischer and Members of the Little Canada City Council FROM: Ben Harrington, AICP, Community Development Director DATE: May 14, 2025 RE: Planning Case 1437 – Fence Code – Ordinance #912 ACTIONS TO BE CONSIDERED Recommend to Approve/Approve with Amendments/Deny Ordinance 912 to amend Chapters 904 and 915 of the Little Canada Zoning Code and approve a summary publication of the new ordinance. BACKGROUND In keeping with the city’s ongoing efforts to improve the organization, clarity, and enforceability of the zoning code, staff is proposing to replace the current fence standards found in Section 915.130 and relocate related fence regulations from Chapter 904 to a centralized section (915.130). The proposed updates mirror the approach used during the city’s recent sign code update, which focused on simplifying regulations, removing redundancies, and improving ease of interpretation. Staff initiated these updates due to the regular volume of fence permit reviews and questions from residents, which revealed that the existing standards were often difficult to interpret due to their disjointed structure and inconsistent references. For reference, staff has included a comparison table of fence standards from nearby communities as Attachment 3. The City Council has the flexibility to support or amend the ordinance as needed or desired prior to adoption. PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING At their April 10, 2025, meeting the Planning Commission heard, discussed, and recommended approval of the ordinance with amendments. The Planning Commission had a thorough discussion and recommended that the city not proceed with a few items in the original ordinance draft. Their proposed amendments are reflected in the draft of Ordinance 912 before you today. First, the original draft included a provision to prohibit chain link fences in front yards in favor of more decorative materials. The Planning Commission felt that it was needlessly restrictive, especially as the City Code does not have such a provision currently. The Commission recommended that staff remove this provision. Second, the draft included language that would regulate fence height and placement along lakeshore properties differently than other residences, a common regulation found in other nearby communities with lakefront properties. These regulations are typically intended to preserve public views and neighborhood character along the shoreline. Staff investigated whether there was any environmental basis for such regulations and spoke with the Watershed District and the DNR who said there was