At its April 1 meeting, the Wayzata City Council unanimously approved a fence variance request for properties at 330 and 355 Waycliffe Drive South and the adjacent private street parcel, clearing the way for the installation of a new six-foot solid privacy fence along Hollybrook Road.
The request was brought forward by applicant Andy Solstad of Andy’s Lawncare on behalf of three property owners, including the Waycliffe Townhomes Association. The proposed fence will replace and extend an aging section of fencing that has long buffered the Waycliffe neighborhood from Hollybrook Road, a heavily traveled thoroughfare just north of Highway 12.
The approval allows for a two-foot height increase and 100% opacity for the fence—departing from city code, which generally permits a maximum of four feet and 75% opacity in front yards.
Making his City Council debut, newly appointed Community Development Director Alex Sharpe presented the item. “This is going to be the first full item for a brand new Community Development Director, Alex Sharpe,” said City Manager Jeff Dahl. “No pressure, Alex.” Sharpe responded with poise and humor, calling the variance process “the most riveting item we can do,” before adding, “That being said, this is a good project. I think it’s a very applicable site for a variance.”
Sharpe explained that the fence will span three properties: two single-family twin home lots and the neighborhood’s private street parcel, owned by the homeowner’s association. Because the street parcel has no residential structure, city code treats it as a front yard for zoning purposes—triggering the need for a variance due to both the height and opacity of the proposed fence.
During council discussion, Council Member Molly MacDonald asked for clarification on the existing fence’s specifications. “That existing fence that you showed us a photo of—the one in black—it looks… is that six foot and 100 percent opaque?” she asked. Sharpe confirmed: “Mayor, Council Member MacDonald, that’s correct.”
Council Member Alex Plechash then offered a bit of levity, posing a hypothetical about how city code would define the yard if the HOA were to “build a doghouse on that little property.” Sharpe clarified that without a structure, the parcel is effectively treated as having a front yard along Hollybrook Road regardless of any small additions, noting that “the doghouse analogy essentially doesn’t apply.”
Reid Shaw, a board member with the Waycliffe HOA, addressed the council directly. “One of the reasons why the fence was proposed as it is, is to keep the community look… at the same height and same opacity as the existing fence,” he said, adding that trees previously serving as natural screening had been lost to storm damage in recent years.
Planning staff and the Planning Commission both recommended approval of the variance, finding that it met city standards by addressing a unique site configuration without altering the essential character of the neighborhood.
The motion to adopt Resolution 09-2025 passed unanimously.
With the variance secured, the HOA and property owners may now move forward with permitting and construction of the fence, which is expected to improve privacy and preserve visual consistency in the Waycliffe neighborhood for years to come.
