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HomeMy WebLinkAbout523 Highland Pictures SQ5 Dav , D SAN-f\j We are applying for a variance for fencing in four areas on our property, as shown on the accompanying map. Before outlining the rationale in further detail,we first enumerate the four areas,and provide corresponding photographs. 1. This area represents a segment of wire mesh fencing that is on the side of our driveway that runs at approximately a 75 degree angle relative to the road and sidewalk and is approximate 6 fet h h SeF 1e i . ._ K \ �L L K� 2. This area represents a segment of wire mesh fencing that is on the side of our property and runs perpendicular to the road and sidewalk. See Figure 2. i S a D ov i.a S AJ->n y a Y I L j E. p F t Zh i Y F IF F'd T � t 4 .�y(���� _ � �p. Y l ♦ jt� I This area represents a segment of plastic mesh fencing that is on the south east corner of our property and runs at approximately at a 45 degree angle relative to the road and sidewalk as is approximately 6 feet high. See Figure i.�w'A'+ • y Y . • §` , M 57,E , •.a1M>"7�4 !' t^�yy�y'�I ,� �� • Icy a.), � '`"K • � a (., - 7��I Y , . . w 4. This area represents across approximately r I' cc r We have made extraordinary efforts to site the fencing,and select fencing materials, to have the most limited visual impact.Areas 1 through 3 all involve fences that are hidden behind and/or embedded in the shrubbery,and this also applies to Area 4, with the exception of the ornamental gate. The variance we are applying for is designed primarily to protect our property for the devastation of our yard and garden by deer.A secondary objective is to reduce the risks of tick infestation and Lyme disease. As shown on the accompanying map, there are five areas where we request a variance. While we would prefer not to have to have these fences,there are vital to protecting our property and maintaining the beautiful character of our neighborhood.When we purchased our house from Keith and Pauline Gubbins nearly 15 years ago,we recall long conversations with them about the cherished and extraordinarily beautiful 70 foot long hedge of rhododendrons, in spots over 15 feet tall, on our property, and that we were inheriting a responsibility to care for them and the beautiful plantings throughout our property. In the spring,it is not unusual for those out for a walk or a drive in the neighborhood to linger for long periods of time admiring the rhododendrons and other plantings. In recent years,these have been under assault from the deer,and we have been losing the battle to preserve the character of our property and neighborhood.When we look back at the pictures of the garden when we first moved in, and compare those photographs to the present,it is a sobering reminder of the devastation that has been resulted from the deer. This of course includes a range of plants and shrubs, but none more visible and less amenable to an alternative protection strategy then massive banks of rhododendrons,and yew hedges that frame the patios and on both the east and west side of our property. Before putting up the perimeter fencing,we experimented with a range of other solutions, including spraying plants, using seasonal fences and netting,and various contraptions to scare the deer away.All were either terribly unsightly,or totally ineffective. In considering what other fencing alternatives are available, again,there are possibilities that comply with the zoning ordinance,but they would be unsightly. For example,along the first 20-25 feet of the wire mesh fencing that runs perpendicular to the road,we could lower the fence to 4 feet, and double fence-put one fence next to the other. Doing so,however,would require, for example, running a fence along our driveway, rather than being hidden in the shrubs. We hope that you will grant our request from the zoning ordinance in light of the fact that it first and foremost is for a very limited area, and second,that the visual impact is very limited and the fence protects,rather than distracts from,the character of our neighborhood.Additionally,there is no adverse environmental impact of our fence. In the final analysis,we bear no responsibility for a deer population that has grown out of control and represents a threat to our property, and additionally,we believe,a threat to our health. Our neighbors,with who we have jointly fenced our yard,have suffered the ravages of Lyme disease among a family member that is an all too sobering reminder of the public health threat of the local deer population.