Jonesboro board approves 8-foot back-corner fence variance for resident

At a local Jonesboro board meeting, members approved a variance allowing a resident to raise a backyard fence to a maximum of 8 feet at the rear corner to accommodate steep terrain, with the fence sloping or stepping down to the existing 6-foot height toward the front.

The applicant, William Perkins, told the board he sought the change for privacy and to screen his back deck from a neighbor’s driveway, describing survey markers at roughly 10 feet, 8 feet and 6 feet and saying one post out in the woods could be as high as 12 feet without a variance. "I just want to increase that fence height between me and my neighbor there," Perkins said during his presentation.

Board members examined photos and a survey and raised the town’s standard 6-foot ordinance as the baseline. Several members recommended a stair-step approach — lowering the fence in 2-foot increments as it follows the slope — rather than allowing a continuous 12-foot panel. One member offered a motion to grant a variance "to a maximum of 8 foot at the back corner, following the contour of the ground to match back up to the 6 foot existing at the front corner." Another board member seconded the motion, and the board proceeded to roll-call voting. Affirmative votes were recorded for Miles, Bailey and Apples; the board carried the motion.

The board’s rationale emphasized terrain rather than the applicant’s desired absolute height: members said the allowance recognized a steep fall in grade near a white pipe/benchmark and should not create an across-the-board 8-foot fence visible from the street. Perkins confirmed that the permitted 8-foot allowance would include the white-pipe location and said he would adjust his plans accordingly.

The action was a variance specific to the described property and profile; the board directed the applicant to submit final plans that reflect the agreed slope/step-down approach and the 8-foot maximum at the back corner. No further appeals or conditions were noted during the meeting.