GLENDALE REVIEWS BAN ON FENCES.

Byline: Donna Huffaker Staff Writer

While residents remain divided on whether to uphold a 77-year-old city ordinance banning front yard fences, people who addressed the City Council on Wednesday night agreed there are extenuating circumstances.

Residents from the city's Rancho community, which features many white picket fences dotting homes with backyard stables, told council members their area should be considered unique because of its country atmosphere.

``I found a home with a beautiful white picket fence. It's picturesque - and that fence has saved my animal's life,'' said Garden Street resident Tina Treadwell, who asked the council to exclude her community from the no front yard fence ordinance.

City Council in July received a 14-page report prepared by city staff that contained recommendations from the city's planning division and the city's fence and wall committee over whether residential front yard fences should continue to be prohibited in Glendale, according to a 1922 law.

The report offered two ways of dealing with the fence law.

The planning division wants to uphold prohibitions against front yard fences and to develop a public education program so all residents can be informed and no one will get blindsided by citations. The planners also want to implement a system of removing illegal fences.

The resident-based fence and wall committee suggested fences should be allowed in front yards with a maximum height of 3-1/2 feet and setback a minimum of 5 feet from the end of the property line near the sidewalk or road. The committee suggested further that a review board approve each fence's design.

All council members, save for Rafi Manoukian who was absent from the special meeting, agreed on educating the public.

On other issues, such as how to deal with fences on double-fronted lots, where one person's back yard is in another person's front yard, council members were less cohesive.

The two hour-plus meeting was called to discuss the issue and to give residents a voice on the controversial matter. The matter was not voted on, however.

Longtime Glendale resident Angela Vukos told council she likes the open-airness of Glendale lawns and said if fences or walls are allowed to frame front yard lawns, it will create an eyesore.

Brian Ellis, a member of the fence and wall committee who would like to see the ordinance remain, empathizes with people's special circumstances.

But he cautioned council that if it were to make exceptions for one community, such as Rancho, it should be prepared for an onslaught of variances from other communities.

Fellow fence and wall committee member Tenly Kokrak lives in the Rancho area and steadfastly believes her neighborhood should be excluded from the ordinance.

There should be stipulations, she said, noting the committee recommended limits on height, color and material, but ultimately the rural Rancho area should be allowed to maintain their fences.

If the ordinance remains as is, residents may apply for variances. People's payments for variances would offset the cost to the city to change the ordinance or to continue prohibiting them.