DALTON GARDENS — Deer come and go at will, but in Dalton Gardens, officials are looking into nailing down a fencing ordinance to keep deer out while maintaining roadway visibility. 

The city's elected leaders are looking to tweak the current language regarding allowed fencing to increase the visibility triangle from 15 feet to a minimum of 30 feet, improving visibility at intersections.  

The ordinance’s language would also include a provision for gates at the driveway entrance with a setback, better define the definitions for right of way, edge of pavement, and property line adjacent to a street, and identify a reasonable amount of sight-obscuring fencing for deer.  

Planning and Zoning Commissioner Ron Sampert said he agreed with many of the suggestions for amendments to the ordinance, especially those aimed at regulating gates so they couldn’t swing into the street.  

“I went through the existing ordinance here this week and it needs a lot of help. Honestly, it needs quite a bit of work,” Sampert said. “There's things in there that are contradictory and that didn’t make sense.” 

The presence of deer within city limits is not a new issue. 

Trapping and bow hunting have been considered at various points in the last decade or so, causing issues after they've wandered down from Canfield Mountain. 

“Having a non-see-through fence is more desirable because if the deer can’t see through it, then they’re less likely to have to jump over it,” Planning and Zoning Commissioner Chad Haunschild said during a Jan. 8 workshop between the city council, Mayor Curt Jernigan and planning and zoning commissioners. 

Planning and zoning Commissioner Caitlin O'Brien said she was interested in clarifying what a mesh fence is and pointed out that throughout the city limits, different fences, berms, or rocks are used to create privacy on properties. 

“I would caution the council and the commission for that matter of trying to over-regulate this provision, because we’re not a homeowner’s association,” O’Brien said. “We don’t want to prohibit people from using the kind of fencing materials that they want to use.” 

Mayor Curt Jernigan said he agreed that visibility was key in the ordinance's language and noted that members of the city council and the planning and zoning commission appeared to be mainly in agreement. 

“I think these changes would enhance what we’re doing,” Jernigan said.