Township Commissioners Deny Residents' Request To Put Up Fence

A couple running a home-based day care were hoping to put up a chain-link fence around the front of their duplex on Broadway, but South Whitehall commissioners denied their request to do so.

Daniel and Jenny Hernandez, of 3824 Broadway, had come to the commissioners on Wednesday night seeking approval to put up the fence at their home, which is at the intersection of Broadway and S. Adams Street. The couple needed the approval because township zoning laws don't allow for a fence to be constructed if it blocks the view of motorists pulling onto Broadway from S. Adams Street. The fence would have been within what the township calls a "clear sight triangle." 

Daniel Hernandez said the township had initially given him a permit to install the fence, but later a township official stopped the project because of the potential violation of the zoning ordinance.

Hernandez said he and his wife wanted to install the fence out of concern for the safety of the children in their day care, especially since the front of the house faces busy Broadway. 

"We don't want the children to run out into the street," he said.

However, several neighbors turned out in opposition to the fence, which has been partially installed at the duplex. The neighbors complained that the fence was unsightly, and that any attempts to use the front yard, once fenced-in, as a play area would be unsafe along the busy roadway.

After hearing the testimony, the commissioners met in executive session to discuss the matter. 

Before voting against the request upon their return to the public hearing room, Commissioner Tori Morgan said she felt there were other safety options available to the couple, including access for the children and their parents at the back of the property.