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Saturday, November 2, 2013

Fact Check: What are the facts surrounding the zoning issue discussed at the January 14th, 2013 Mountain Home City Council meeting?


Mark Reinhardt- Boise Idaho On January 14th, 2013, Mountain Home Idaho Resident So Young Mays met with the City Planning and Zoning Commission to build a bigger fence on her property, according to City Council Meeting Minutes. According to the mintues, the reason for her going to the commission was, “To build her fence up to eight feet tall because the new house that was built behind her is very close to her fence and she can see into their front window while sitting on her couch.” According to Google Maps, the view from her backyard actually faces the back end of the house,
View Larger Map While the front end of the house that was built, actually faces another street.
View Larger Map During the council meeting, Mountain Home Mayor Tom Rist had asked Mays if she previously had neighbors when she moved in. To which, she had responded to the mayors question with a no. Rist indicated, "in 90% of the houses in any subdivision, you can see into anyone’s house if you look out of your window from inside your house." An example of this can been seen in Boise Idaho through the Creekwood Subdivision where the placement of the fences allowed for neighbors to be able to do this.
View Larger Map Another example of subdivision fencing can be seen in Nampa Idaho,
View Larger Map As seen with the Google Map Images, fence placement and length depends on where you live, and the construction process used for building homes in each city. Was one side more correct than the other? I don't know. What is known, is that the Internet now allows a person to examine Municipal Planning and Zoning issued with the click of a button.

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