N. Hempstead residents on both sides of fence issue

Elizabeth Suter of Manhasset believes short fences make for good neighbor relations.

Jarrett Roth would prefer a tall fence to separate his Roslyn Heights house from the one next door, where two dogs live.

Town of North Hempstead residents are on both sides of the fence - debating whether the 4-foot height limit on residential side and back fences should be changed. Town Councilman Fred Pollack proposes raising it to 6 feet because of so many variance requests to the Board of Zoning Appeals.

Supervisor Jon Kaiman said it makes sense to explore a possible change because the zoning board grants a large percentage of those requests. Town officials expect to make a decision next month.

Kaiman said a public hearing last week showed that some people like the privacy of taller fences, while others feel anything higher than 4 feet restricts a feeling of community. More than a dozen residents spoke at the hearing.

"If you want to be fenced in, you can stay in an apartment in the city," Suter said. "Or you can go to a jail."

The zoning appeals board has rejected Roth's request to build a 6-foot fence in his backyard. Roth said the fence isn't meant to shut out his neighbor, but to protect his 2-year-old son from two greyhounds next door.

His neighbor, Arthur Komissar, said he has no problem with Roth's desire to build a fence between their homes.

"A person should be allowed to do what they need to do," he said. "It's not like we live on a mountain and it's blocking the view."

Both men agree that a tall fence wouldn't hurt their neighborly relationship.

When Ben Caldwell bought his Port Washington home in 2003, there was already a 6-foot fence in place. "We actually get along very well with our neighbors" despite the tall fence, he said. "It hasn't been a problem."

Caldwell is awaiting his own hearing to get a variance for the fence.

Gloria Parnes has a 4-foot fence in her New Hyde Park backyard to keep her dogs contained. But she opposes a taller fence, saying, "I think it would ruin the whole neighborhood if they did that."