Front yard fence

I would really like to put a fence in my front yard about 2 feet back from the sidewalk with some nice flowers in front of it. Is it allowed in Maplewood to put up a front yard fence? I saw someone mention in an old thread a fence can't extend past the plane of your house? If I can't put the front yard fence, why can't I? What is the reasoning behind that?

I have never seen a front yard fence anywhere in Maplewood (except maybe in some historic grandfathered homes?), but I was just recently thinking the same thing (re: wanting to put in a short one if only to keep animals out of my lawn and hold back the plantings). I have seen low walled planters all over in front yards, just never a fence.

I didn't go so far as to research the ordinances though. If someone has, please post a link!

No, I'm afraid that you can't. The reasoning is that we (the town) otherwise end up with a lot of ugly ones (chain link, glaring vinyl, poorly maintained, such as in Union etc).

If you try to put one up they will fine you until you take it down.

Front yard fences are prohibited by the Zoning Act. Side yard fences are allowed and they cannot extend beyond the front of the house. Period.

If you live on a corner lot, you get to pick which side is your front yard and which side is your side yard. Then a fence on the side yard is permitted.

I was on the Zoning Board for 13 years and we never approved a variance for a front yard fence absent some overwhelmingly compelling reason -- and we didn't have one.

You can apply for a variance. It will cost a little bit and if you hire an attorney to represent you it will cost more. The chances of succeeding are slim to none except for the side yard fence on a corner house. The town has taken pride in the openness found on the streets in Maplewood and fences undercut that. My guess is you will not get a variance. But you can try.

What about planter walls of stone or brick? I see those around town. Is there a height restriction on them?

Also prohibited.

If Google Maps is giving me the right addresses...

549 Ridgewood, 61 Durand, 55 Durand, 25 Sunset Terrace, all have low stone walls. though arguably its more for holding back the earth. 55 Durand though even has an iron fence on top of the stone wall.

But you can grow hedges.

I understand the idea of keeping things looking "nice", but I thought we were a "stigma-free" town? There appears to be a stigma against front yard fences.

I think the reason is, "because we said so."

als4532 said:
I understand the idea of keeping things looking "nice", but I thought we were a "stigma-free" town? There appears to be a stigma against front yard fences.

Probably for close to the same reason there's a stigma against parking your rusting car on blocks on your front lawn.

I thought you could do it, but subject to a 2' height limitation (i.e. more decorative than functional as a fence) ... no?

You're making me nostalgic for my Midwestern childhood...

ctrzaska said:

als4532 said:
I understand the idea of keeping things looking "nice", but I thought we were a "stigma-free" town? There appears to be a stigma against front yard fences.

Probably for close to the same reason there's a stigma against parking your rusting car on blocks on your front lawn.

ctrzaska said:

als4532 said:
I understand the idea of keeping things looking "nice", but I thought we were a "stigma-free" town? There appears to be a stigma against front yard fences.

Probably for close to the same reason there's a stigma against parking your rusting car on blocks on your front lawn.

That's ridiculous. By that logic there should be a law against people with soccer nets, basketball hoops, crumbling paint jobs, broken windows, overgrown shrubs, children's playskool slides, dogs, lawns filled with weeds, etc.

There should be a permit you can apply for if you submit plans for your fence. No reason to throw the baby out with the bath water.

Maplewood is, by several measures, a very conservative town. That's not a criticism, just an observation. I lived there for ten years. Love it or leave it. We did both!

Jude said:
Front yard fences are prohibited by the Zoning Act. Side yard fences are allowed and they cannot extend beyond the front of the house. Period.
If you live on a corner lot, you get to pick which side is your front yard and which side is your side yard. Then a fence on the side yard is permitted.
I was on the Zoning Board for 13 years and we never approved a variance for a front yard fence absent some overwhelmingly compelling reason -- and we didn't have one.
You can apply for a variance. It will cost a little bit and if you hire an attorney to represent you it will cost more. The chances of succeeding are slim to none except for the side yard fence on a corner house. The town has taken pride in the openness found on the streets in Maplewood and fences undercut that. My guess is you will not get a variance. But you can try.

Sorry any part of the property facing the street, front or side is considered "front" for the purpose of this ordinance. No fence is permitted along either, except for the area behind the house.

On my walk this morning, I passed a corner property today where the own tried to get around the no fence rule by planting tall shrubs along the side of the property facing the street and then placing large boulders between the shrubs to form what amounts to a stone wall. Not sure if this is permitted. We will see if it is allowed to stay or if the owner is asked to remove the boulders.

als4532 said:

ctrzaska said:

als4532 said:
I understand the idea of keeping things looking "nice", but I thought we were a "stigma-free" town? There appears to be a stigma against front yard fences.

Probably for close to the same reason there's a stigma against parking your rusting car on blocks on your front lawn.

That's ridiculous. By that logic there should be a law against people with soccer nets, basketball hoops, crumbling paint jobs, broken windows, overgrown shrubs, children's playskool slides, dogs, lawns filled with weeds, etc.
There should be a permit you can apply for if you submit plans for your fence. No reason to throw the baby out with the bath water.

Whats funny is that for at least half of the suff you mentioned there are laws in place.

ace11 said:

als4532 said:

ctrzaska said:

als4532 said:
I understand the idea of keeping things looking "nice", but I thought we were a "stigma-free" town? There appears to be a stigma against front yard fences.

Probably for close to the same reason there's a stigma against parking your rusting car on blocks on your front lawn.

That's ridiculous. By that logic there should be a law against people with soccer nets, basketball hoops, crumbling paint jobs, broken windows, overgrown shrubs, children's playskool slides, dogs, lawns filled with weeds, etc.
There should be a permit you can apply for if you submit plans for your fence. No reason to throw the baby out with the bath water.

Whats funny is that for at least half of the suff you mentioned there are laws in place.

News to me! You see that stuff all over the place in maplewood.

You see it in West Orange, too, but it is, indeed, not permitted (most of that stuff). I had a friend who lived in an antique house on the stretch by CVS and SuzieQs, and they got fined by the town for letting their weeds get too tall.

One of the ways SO is superior to MW (not my job to go the other direction) is that SO is more flexible on fences for corner lots. You can use the plane of the front of the house and then go to within a few feet of the sidewalk on the side, but the fence has to have certain characteristics (ie, picket type fence) and has a relatively low height limit (but high enough to keep little people in, ie, higher than 2 ft).

SteveIvan said:
One of the ways SO is superior to MW (not my job to go the other direction) is that SO is more flexible on fences for corner lots. You can use the plane of the front of the house and then go to within a few feet of the sidewalk on the side, but the fence has to have certain characteristics (ie, picket type fence) and has a relatively low height limit (but high enough to keep little people in, ie, higher than 2 ft).

Well I think if you pay attention to the upkeep and don't put up a big chain link fence you should be allowed to put up a nice little picket fence with some beautiful flowers. If you do it right it would spruce up the neighborhood and be an asset not a detriment.

als4532 There is really no point in trying to advance your idea here. MOL does not grant or deny permission to such things. It is not going to happen, -and just so you understand, -you may have a "nice picket fence" in mind but in the realm of ordinances it is a Pandora's box.

I say this simply so that you will not waste your time.

joan_crystal said:
Sorry any part of the property facing the street, front or side is considered "front" for the purpose of this ordinance. No fence is permitted along either, except for the area behind the house.
On my walk this morning, I passed a corner property today where the own tried to get around the no fence rule by planting tall shrubs along the side of the property facing the street and then placing large boulders between the shrubs to form what amounts to a stone wall. Not sure if this is permitted. We will see if it is allowed to stay or if the owner is asked to remove the boulders.

There is no fence allowed on the side property of corner lots? At least half the corner lots around me have privacy fences along their side yards, some wooden some very tall shrubbery. Are you certain of this ordinance? Is this available on the town website by chance (just did a quick search and didn't see anything)?

I'm pretty sure that you can have a fence, but I believe it has to be flush with the side of the house rather than at or near the property line as is the case for side fences on non-corner lots.

steel said:
als4532 There is really no point in trying to advance your idea here. MOL does not grant or deny permission to such things. It is not going to happen, -and just so you understand, -you may have a "nice picket fence" in mind but in the realm of ordinances it is a Pandora's box.
I say this simply so that you will not waste your time.

I am well aware MOL doesn't grant or deny any thing. As far as I can tell MOL is a place where plenty of people try to advance their ideas and opinions.

Thanks for looking out for me about not wasting my time. I wouldn't want to have an opinion or thought about something you didn't want me to have. You're right too. Let people have a fence and next thing you know there's a statue of Ronald Reagan in your neighbors lawn.

Let me know when it's okay for me to want something on my property. Until then maybe I'll go read some more comments about the post office site.

steel said:
als4532 There is really no point in trying to advance your idea here. MOL does not grant or deny permission to such things. It is not going to happen, -and just so you understand, -you may have a "nice picket fence" in mind but in the realm of ordinances it is a Pandora's box.
I say this simply so that you will not waste your time.

Wrong !! This is (supposed to be) a democracy. Laws and regulations that are part of B.O.C.A. are one thing. Laws and regulations that were put in place by the town council are something else.

Fences and weeds.

Fences. I live on a property where people use the lawn as a public walkway. (The hypotenuse of the triangle). Is the town going to pay the medical bill if someone gets hurt walking through my lawn? Change the damn law. Let people put up fences if they want.

Weeds, bees and butterflies. Much of the problem with pollution and decline of bees and butterflies can be traced to our obsession with having a green, well manicured lawn. The herbicides are killing the beneficial insects. The runoff from fertilizer is polluting the waterways and increasing algae. What do you think is causing the pollution in Barnegat Bay?

Historically, this fixation began in 18th century England as a way to demonstrate you were wealthy. It has no other function. We don't live in the 18th century. Change the laws and allow the plants on your property to grow naturally. Change the law to rescind the penalties for not mowing our stupid lawns. If you want a grass lawn, that is one thing. If you don't you should be left alone.

Joan, back in the 1990s/early 2000s the Zoning Act was amended to allow a side yard fence on a corner lot. Unless that has since been repealed, a corner lot can have a side yard fence that obeys all the rules of a side yard fence on a non-corner property. A rough schematic is shown below.

Some properties have unusual physical features such a sharp drop-offs and the method for getting relief is to file a variance request with the Zoning Board which has the authority to grant a variance from the Zoning Act. Variances stay with the property so ALL future owners have the right to use that variance. HOWEVER, once any owner undoes the "thing", like a fence that required a variance and tears it down and does not replace it, then the variance lapses.

Jude: The key here is "with appropriate set backs." Some corner houses have deep enough lots for a fenced in area behind the house house to make some sense. Some have old fences which predate the ordinance. Others meet exceptions provided for in the ordinance such as enclosure of swimming pools. The ordinance was revised very recently. A copy can be found on the official town website.

This forum seems to have two major purposes, helping folks with simple information and debate. Obviously it seems difficult to sometimes know one from the other or to know when you are triggering a debate while simply trying to supply what you believe to be solid reliable advise.

Dear als4332, you may have noticed that I didn't express my own opinion of fences (not that it matters) but was simply trying answer your freakin' question as I presumed you must be new. You're welcome.

Your completely unnecessary sharp response to me is precisely why more people don't come on here anymore. So neighborly. If I'd known that you wanted to rant against not having a fence or even against anyone telling you that it isn't possible I wouldn't have troubled.

Meanwhile, by all means let's all have the free exchange of ideas. This is indeed a debate forum which some folks seem to relish more than others by using their time in a sort of endless "Whack-a-mole" closed loop but no one should delude themselves that ranting on MOL is going to change an ordinance against fences.

Instead, get thee to a shrubbery.

Have a nice day.

There are a couple of issues. One is whether fences are a good idea. Another is whether the town will allow them. The latter one has been settled. The former is a perfectly good debate.