Fences

It's not a done deal yet, until the Commission rules on it, but it appears we may be on the verge of a significant "change" in the Village.  From the outset, our founders fashioned us as an "open" neighborhood.  I suppose it was meant to be that innocent time we like to imagine, when neighbors walked around smiling at each other, saying "Good morning, neighbor" a lot.  They all supposedly knew each other, scolded each other's children, and the usual nostalgic drill the "way back when" e-mails describe.  And part of that for us was that properties didn't have fences.  We didn't need them, and we didn't want them.  We wanted to gawk at each other's properties, and walk right up to the front door, unimpeded, to borrow a cup of sugar or something.

Now to be "fair," it somehow happened that we did wind up with properties with fences.  There are tales about how this happened, some overly permissive or imperious Mayor, or a lax Planning and Zoning Board, that allowed some people to have what no one was supposed to have.  So when you drive around, you'll see fences, gates, CBS walls, even the dreaded chain link fences, all verboten, none supposed to be there.  And all "grandfathered" now.  As long as they can stand, they can stay.  But they can't be renovated.  If anything comes to P&Z about them, they're sentenced to demolition.

In the past three years, there has been a Code Review ad hoc Committee.  The last time the Code was reviewed was 1988, and someone decided to take another look.  The CRC was supposed to be composed of all of Code Review, all of Planning and Zoning, the Code Enforcement Officer, and five other appointees, one from each of the last five Commissioners.  Having been on P&Z, I was included.  Before long, some members either didn't come, or stopped coming, or made clear they were no longer interested, and the composition shifted.  Having moved to the Foundation, I resigned, too.  The original Chair was Al Childress, but after he got promoted to Commissioner, his Chair was given to Gage Hartung.

There were factions from the outset about the fences.  Some people hated the idea, and they wouldn't hear of fences, or gates, or walls.  They didn't like the idea, and they said they didn't like the look.  Whenever the esthetic matter came up, they invoked images of Hialeah.  They conveniently overlooked Miami Shores, Miami Beach, and Coral Gables, all of which have plenty of fences, gates, and walls, and none of which are ever said to look at all tacky.  In fact, the enclosed properties are sometimes the most elegant.  Other people either liked fences, gates, and walls, or didn't feel a reason to tell anyone they couldn't have one if they wanted one.  As long as it was adequately presentable.  As a frame of reference, Gage Hartung was of the former persuasion, and I was of the latter.  When I left CRC, the matter was dead, and there weren't going to be any fences, gates, or walls.  I was outvoted more than once on this matter.

In recent months, the Commission has been petitioned by various people to ask CRC to reconsider about fences, gates, and walls.  The general issue has been about safety from intrusion and containment of children and pets.  The more specific issue has been about the disadvantage borne by owners of corner lots, of which there are very many in the Village.  These properties have very little yard which can be contained, and homeowners experience little usable yard, other than something to look at.  If corner lot owners want fences, they have to request variances, which are often granted, due to the special nature of the problem, but which are a significant extra expense for the homeowner.  The idea was to craft a Code which would be a little more liberal for these neighbors.

So CRC took the matter back under advisement, with a mandate to come up with something, at least about corner lots. Gage Hartung presented the new proposal at this week's (month's) Commission meeting.  The new proposal accommodated much of the corner lot problem, and it addressed front yard fences, heretofore out of the question.  The now proposed fences, gates, and walls are not unrestricted, and they may be less imposing than some people might have wanted, but the proposals are there, and they're entirely reasonable.

So here's the thing about this issue.  I will say with complete confidence that none of this would have happened as it did without Gage Hartung.  He was outspoken early on as not favoring front yard hardware.  He ultimately worked with the rest of the Committee, the Commission, and the residents who were complaining, to find a very meaningful compromise that didn't completely satisfy anyone, but it gave everyone some sense of satisfaction that his or her wishes were heard, understood, and taken into account.  Not many of us lately have been able to do what Gage did, and great commendation is due him for it.  He was firm about some parts of this matter, accommodating about other parts, he was gentlemanly, and he captained the CRC ship to a safe port.  So thanks, Gage.