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NORTHWEST ASSOCIATED CONSULTANTS, INC. <br />4800 Olson Memorial Highway, Suite 202, Golden Valley, MN 55422 <br />Telephone: 763.231 .2555 Facsimile: 763.231.2561 planners@nacplanning.com <br />PLANNING REPORT <br />TO: Little Canada Planning Commission <br />FROM: Stephen Grittman / Ryan Grittman <br />DATE: May 7, 2015 <br />RE: Residential fencing along railroad tracks <br />FILE NO: 758.10 — 15.01 <br />BACKGROUND: <br />The City of Little Canada has received an inquiry from a resident about building a <br />privacy fence along property adjacent to railroad tracks. Until recently, trains did not <br />frequent the area and train noise was only a minor issue. However, trains have now <br />become much more frequent along with train whistle noise and track noise. <br />The City's ordinance currently allows residential fences to be 6 1/2 feet in height along <br />the rear and side yards. The resident has stated that a privacy fence of 6 1/2 feet would <br />be inadequate to make a reasonable sound barrier / privacy fence. The ordinance also <br />allows for "special purpose fences" with a conditional use permit. <br />ISSUES ANALYSIS: <br />The current maximum fence height of 6 1/2 feet is not adequate in order to achieve the <br />proper sound barrier a property owner might want. At the same time, a property owner <br />could simply apply for a conditional use permit to build a special purpose fence. This <br />creates several concerns: <br />1. Property owners can request privacy fencing along the rear of their property <br />at various heights with essentially no restriction on height request. This could <br />potentially look incongruent in the neighborhood. <br />2. Property owners can request various building materials, and colors making <br />fencing look mismatched in the neighborhood <br />