School fence height lower

Planning commissioners and school officials lowered the height of the fence that will protect Douglas High School's new $2.5 million track Tuesday, after the planning commission unanimously approved a 10-foot chain-link fence with 1-inch mesh.

The smaller mesh is harder to climb or cut than the more common 2-inch variety previously proposed, commissioners said at Tuesday's regular meeting.

Planning commissioners sent school officials back to the drawing board last month, after rejecting a proposal for a 12-foot chain link fence with the 2-inch mesh, saying is was too easy to scale or cut.

Neighbors objected to the 12-foot fence height, but project coordinator Keith Cole said the extra time allowed school officials to develop a consensus.

"We've found a good, affordable option nearby homeowners can live with," he said. "And we'll be able to provide protection for the million-dollar facility."

Developer Greg Lynn, who owns property on Mahogany Drive abutting the athletic field, said this is an extremely difficult fence to climb.

"We're going to get more bang for the buck with 10-foot than a 12-foot fence," he said. "We're good with it."

Former Google software engineer Raymond Sidney donated $1.6 million to complete the installation of the all-weather track and lay down artificial turf on the football field.

Variances need only be reviewed by the planning commission and will not be forwarded to the Douglas County Board of Commissioners.

In other business:

-- Commissioners approved an amendment requiring standards for bear-proof trash enclosures for single-family homes and multi-family projects.

-- Commissioners approved a one-year extension to complete the division 1,520 acres of Park Cattle land into large parcels.

"We need additional time to resolve easement and request," said project spokesman Rob Anderson. "We've made progress. We've received encroachment requests, but we haven't completed the irrigation easement."

-- A request by Syncon Homes to modify their development schedule and phasing plan for Monterra subdivision has been continued for 60 days at the request of the developer.

-- Commissioners approved a major variance for a reduction in the number of loading stalls for Minden Gateway Center, from 20 to 5.