A man working for months to get a golf ball fence approved for a home he owns on Brittlebush Drive got the approval from the Town Council at its regular meeting on March 7.

Homeowner Jim Johnson participated in the meeting by telephone as a personal emergency prevented him from making it to Fountain Hills in time.

“I would like to have this approved tonight and be done with it,” Johnson said. “It will be nice to go ahead and build this.”

Johnson’s original plan called for a 33-foot high net surrounding two sides of his property on hole number 11 of the SunRidge Canyon Golf Course. That plan required a special use permit. The Planning and Zoning Commission looked at that plan and sent it on to the council with no recommendation.

The council’s first look at the plan resulted in a continuance to have Johnson work with the golf club and the neighborhood HOA on a solution.

Johnson reworked the request to remove the high fencing and replace it with an overhead net attached to the house and extending over a patio. According to Development Services Director John Wesley that option, had it been the original request, could have been approved administratively and a building permit issued with a plan review. However, since it was originally a special use permit application it needed the council approval even with the changes.

“The Town has provided the means to allow placement of golf nets on properties abutting golf courses to protect them from errant golf balls,” Wesley said in his staff report. “The Council has amended the ordinance to allow these to be approved administratively in some cases.

“There is clear evidence of golf ball strikes on this property and a professional report calculating the number and speed of balls impacting this property.”

Vice Mayor Peggy McMahon, who had visited the home at Johnson’s invitation, said she was “shocked” by the damage she saw. “There are hundreds of ball marks in the stucco and the pool deck is destroyed. Everywhere you look there are ball strikes,” McMahon said.

“As (the proposal) is modified this will not be visible to anyone and I think this will work for them.”

There was some confusion on the part of the council as to how to address a motion.

Councilwoman Brenda Kalivianakis moved to deny the request, which was defeated on a 3-4 vote. The staff recommendation asked for an approval consistent with the revised plan.

“The current proposed net could be approved administratively (and) staff recommends approval,” the staff report stated.

A second motion to approve the request was 4-3 in favor.