<HTML><HEAD>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<div><b><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> Fence Meeting Status</FONT></b></div>
<div> </div>
<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT><div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> The fence meeting on Monday 10/16 went well and will be </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> continued next week, probably on Thr Oct 26 at 8 pm although</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> the date and time is not yet firmly set (It might get switched</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> to Tuesday Oct 24.)</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> We have not finished discussing fences and have not yet </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> discussed hedges.</FONT></div>
<div> </div>
<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT><div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> Two people have spoken strongly against allowing tall side yard </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> fences and no one has yet spoken (at the meeting) in favor of </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> allowing them. So the likely outcome will be to limit side yard </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> fences to 4 feet and rear yard fences to 6 feet. </FONT></div>
<div> </div>
<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT><div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> I will try to find the time tomorrow to summarize other discussions</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> from the fence meeting. Here is the tall vs short fence summary.</FONT></div>
<div> </div>
<b><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></b><div><b><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> Arguments for banning tall fences run along these lines</FONT></b></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> 1) Less Friendly -- tall fences inhibit over-the-fence conversations.</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> 2) Aesthetics -- tall fences are ugly and block open views.</FONT></div>
<div> </div>
<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT><div><b><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> 1) Friendliness vs Privacy</FONT></b></div>
<div> </div>
<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT><div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> I love saying hello to my neighbors over the rear fence. (I have great </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> neighbors). And I would certainly not want a privacy fence around any </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> part of my yard. </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> For others, their home is their castle and they want to be left alone in </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> a private comfortable setting. Away from what they view as prying eyes. </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> A privacy fence is important to their comfort.</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> So how do we legislative between people who love open friendly </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> neighborhoods and those who prefer more private settings? </FONT></div>
<div> </div>
<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT><div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> My feelings are:</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> The front yard has the greatest impact on all, so I am OK with requiring</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> shorter open fences in the front yards. (Actually, I would prefer no front</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> yard fences at all, but so far, that has not caught on here in RP).</FONT></div>
<div> </div>
<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT><div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> For the side and rear yards, I lean toward respecting property rights </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> and allowing the owner to choose between open and private yards. </FONT></div>
<div> </div>
<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT><div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> Your views on this need to be heard!</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><b><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> 2) Aesthetics </FONT></b></div>
<div> </div>
<b><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></b><div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> There are some very attractive tall fences and some pretty ugly ones </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> too and some house styles do not lend themselves to tall side fences </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> at all, but is that a good reason to outlaw such fences for all homes? </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> Legislating aesthetics is always problematic as people have different </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> views on what is or is not aesthetic. The proposed fence code requires</FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> rot resistant materials be used, so at least one source of the uglies </FONT></div>
<div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> would be eliminated. </FONT></div>
<div> </div>
<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> </FONT><div><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=3> -Rob</FONT></div>
</body></html>