Defining what materials are allowed to be used as fencing in the city of Apache Junction is to be studied by city staff and brought before the planning and zoning commission and City Council.
The Apache Junction Planning and Zoning Commission on Dec. 13 voted unanimously to direct city staff to take a look at allowable and disallowable types of fencing; adding new materials to fencing that integrate well and will be well-maintained; and to look at the aesthetics of fencing.
Apache Junction’s city code under fences includes the height, setbacks, and allowed and prohibited materials, Development Services Director Rudy Esquivias said at the commission meeting.
“The suggestion has been made to perhaps better define what we mean by certain types of fence materials and also possibly to allow certain types of fence materials that are currently not allowed as long as they are nicely integrated into a designed fence and as long as fences are maintained, kept painted, not falling apart. So, the issue has to do more with aesthetics — not so much fence material types,” he said.
“The thing that really kind of brought this all to a head was ‘what exactly is corrugated metal?’ Well, most of us probably imagine corrugated metal as material that is wavy ... and you see on a tin roof. But in fact corrugated metal can also be that thick steel that’s more the square type of material that you see used in gates a lot,” he said.
The primary duties of the planning and zoning commission include community contact regarding items including a zoning change request, to an application from a developer for a shopping center development or housing project. Also included are conditional use permits with the final decision being handled at the planning and zoning commission level, according to the city’s website.
Richard Dyer Managing Editor | East Valley @RHDyer
Meet Richard Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.
Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions.
Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.
Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.
Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.
By 
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here