I am the owner of the home addressed in this complaint and I wanted to respond to my new neighbors. We have three young boys under 10 year of age, and obviously live on the corner of a main road and a frequently used cut-thru road, so a fence was necessary item and investment for us.

To address your questions, we had the fence permitted and approved by the City. The City folks were very helpful and very thorough, and we worked very closely with them for several months during the permitting and construction process. This included providing a survey showing the exact location of the fence, which was a condition of the permit. During the permitting and construction process, we did take the view into consideration, going so far as to stand at the stop sign and check the visibility. See attached picture from a vehicle completely stopped appx 15 feet back, without no protrusion onto Whitaker Mill. The inspector came out just this week for the final inspection, and actually checked the exact position of the fence all around.

The vegetation did not require a permit, but the vegetation will be properly manicured as it grows in, will not overgrow the fence, and there will be none planted any closer to either road. It’s intended to be a low garden type "jungle" for the boys to play in.

I debated on responding here because I do not intend to argue. We worked very hard to find the best location for our family for over a year, worked for six months to get the house even approved with the City because of permitting nuances and as a rule follower, made sure we took all steps required for the fence.

I have seen so many people speeding (dramatically) down Whitaker Mill and a lot of cutting through McCarthy. Some act as if there is no stop sign at all. If the City determines retroactively that our fence is an issue, then we will most definitely do what is asked of us. For now, I'm happy to see that people are stopping and taking more caution here (and not out into Whitaker Mill).

As a new neighbor, I find myself in this weird position of people coming by and being welcoming and complimentary of the house, landscaping and fence. And those who say to our face they preferred the previous property (an old duplex). And now, this situation. After driving around and doing our due diligence, there is visibility obstruction at a large amount of similar intersections and stop signs around Five Points. Is ours an issue because it's a cut through? I don't see issues filed at the others that are clearly blocked. Our immediate neighbors have told us they are so happy to see the fence because they were worried for the kids's safety.

It's a fine balance between safety and property/personal choices while following the process and respecting the look of the neighborhood. If the City decides to come through this entire area and require removal of all visual obstructions, so many mature and established yards would have to remove vegetation. If needed for safety, definitely. But no one seems to have reported issues there, so it's hard to not feel that being new is hurting us here.

I do not want to cause an argument or stir up drama. I just wanted each of you to hear from us directly. So, thank you for the opportunity to respond to you all, and thank you for letting us know your concerns. We hope to get to know all of you you personally in the months to come.