There have been a few things going on behind-the-scenes (if you will) that I haven’t talked about for fear I would jeopardize their outcome. One of those was a request to erect a six foot tall fence around the property. We had to gain special permission from the Zoning Board in order to have such a tall fence at the front of the property.
A few months ago (that’s how long this process has taken), we were all ready to give the go-ahead to the fence contractor when Marcus decided to peruse the city’s requirements. Thank goodness he did because we would have been in for a rude awakening when it turns out the maximum height for a fence at the front of a property is four feet. We immediately put a hold on scheduling for the fence and went to work gathering the requirements for the Zoning Board (one of those things was a survey of the property which I had suggested we get months ago but never did…its uncanny how right I am all of the time).
I was really worried about putting such a short fence on the property for one big reason and he has four legs and his name sounds a lot like “Asshole.” I love my furry guy but he’s a doofus and all I could think about was him chasing a bird shadow out into the four lanes of Dixon Road. Of course protecting my children is high priority as well but they’re less likely to chase birds or shadows out into traffic.
We also felt a tall fence was necessary to protect the property from any future vandalism. Before, when the house was already in rough shape, it was hurtful when another window was broken or a fire extinguisher sprayed throughout the house (that happened) but if it were to happen now things could get ugly. Luckily, we haven’t had any problems since work began but it would still be nice to have the added security of a fence.
Anyway, this is all to say that this past Monday we sat in front of the Zoning Board Commission and were unanimously approved for our six foot tall fence. It was clear to everyone that our situation is unique within the city as we sit on nearly 1.5 acres of land and are surrounded by the park and a four lane road. I appreciate the work that the Zoning Department did for us presenting our case to the Commission. Plus, we were able to take both of the children and they got a tiny little lesson in how the government works so, parenting win for us! The girls would probably argue that it was not a win but they’re young and immature and have no right to an opinion (because that’s how my government works in this house).
Now we just need to file for the permit and work can begin so we can start to really enjoy our little bit of land. I know ol’ Asshole is going to love it.
Bringing Back Sligo 