By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Hays city commissioners unanimously approved two ordinances Thursday night to amend regulations regarding the heights of some side yard fences and of accessory structures, such as garages.

Jesse Rohr, public works director, said city staff and the Hays Area Planning Commission agreed the items in the Unified Development Code (UDC) were “unnecessarily restrictive.”

Commissioner Sandy Jacobs wondered “how that got by us.”

The massive UDC was adopted in August 2016, and has been amended more than once. That is to be expected, according to Mayor James Meier.

“When you do a big update like that, I think that we all knew that when we passed it, we’re going to have to come back and fix stuff,” Meier said.

“We had a couple changes come back to you I think this past spring,” Rohr added, “and there could be more in the future but hopefully not many.”

Street side yard fences will now be able to be six feet high, rather than just 42 inches, although sight lines will still be required.

Accessory buildings may be 18 feet or the height of the principal dwelling, whichever is taller. The number of stories in the building will not be a factor.

“I think this is easier for lay people to understand,” Commissioner Ron Mellick said. “We won’t have that confusion. Just clears up the whole ordinance.”