UPDATED: Neighbors Oppose Wooden Fence Going Up at Oakley Country Club

[Updated, May 15, 3:30 p.m.]

They have seen wooden fences going up along other streets around the Oakley Country Club, and Marcia Road residents do not want to see one go up in their backyard.

Several residents of Marcia Road, and those from other streets near Oakley, appealed to the Town Council Tuesday night asking them to stop the fence from going up.

Patch's call requesting a comment from Oakley Country Club were not returned before publication.

Town Council President Mark Sideris said Wednesday afternoon that an official from Oakley Country Club told him the plan to put up the wooden fence has been delayed, "at least for now," Sideris said.

Marcia Road resident Khalil Azar said the view from his home will be ruined if a wooden fence replaces the current chain link fence. He also fears his property value will be hurt.

"Instead of a beautiful, natural view we will be facing an ugly fence," Azar said. "It will create a hardship in our lives. A real estate agent estimated that it would decrease the value of the property by $50,000."

They fear their experience will be like those on Common Street and Commonwealth Road, where wooden fences have already been built. Christine Jensen Dowd, who lives on Commonwealth Road, said her home is much different after the fence was built.

"Sunsets are no longer visible at any time of year, and in summer the sun is blocked from 4 p.m. to nightfall," Jensen Dowd said. "There is no longer movement of air in my back yard."

She estimated that her home is 10 degrees hotter in the summer because of the lack of breeze.

Neighbors said they have approached officials at Oakley, and have even proposed an alternative of replacing the fence with another chain link fence. None of the appeals have been successful.

Some residents noted that Oakley receives a 67 percent tax break for providing open space in Watertown. They asked the Town Council to consider removing the incentive if the country club puts up the fence.

"They receive a significant tax break for being open space," said Emmett Finocche, whose inlaws live on Marcia Road. "I would not consider it open space if they put an opaque fence up."

Sideris said that individual council members will be contacting Oakley, but added he does not believe the matter is something that the council should take a formal stance on because it is a personal property dispute.

"The council as a whole has not and will not get involved in personal property rights," Sideris said. 

If they got involved in such disputes between neighbors, Sideris said, he fears the council will be dealing with disputes anytime neighbors have a disagreement.