Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Amanda on July 29, 2009 at 7:38am

Hi Becky--I live on Evergreen, I am totally with you. I am hoping to convince the neighbor's on either side of us to get rid of their chain link as well. Be glad to help in anyway.

Amanda

Permalink Reply by rebecca birnholz on July 29, 2009 at 10:19am

Fantastic!

Ive found that the best approach is to just stop by when your neighbors are home and chat with them. Sometimes this has yielded remarkable results! Like one of my neighbors taking down the chain link himself and then letting me plant a garden in his front yard!

If you just let them know how easy it would be...and that youd be willing to do all the work (email me and ill be over with my bolt cutters in a heatbeat!) then most of the time people are thrilled....and just hadnt wanted to make the effort.

Some concerns Ive heard raised were...
1) I dont want anyone being able to cut though my yard...and the fence keeps them out... I like to explain that if you plant shrubs where there was once a fence than that actually does a better job at deterring folks from trespassing.

2) my yard will just collect trash from the street that blows in....while this can be true it is good to remind them that people can just as easily toss trash over your fence and then its stuck there...locked between your building front and a steel cage.

3) wont I have to pay to get the chainlink removed....NO ....just cut...roll and leave on the curb for trash day!

4) what do I do about the steel posts that are anchored into the ground?....These are a bit tricky...need a metal saw or angle grinder to cut them down as low as possible so they blend back in with the ground...since these are often cemented in well below ground level and difficult to remove. can also become the foundation (if cut down a bit) for a low cute picket fence border though.

any other thoughs/quesitions......definitely send my way! and good luck....lemme know how it goes for you.

Permalink Reply by Joe Fallon on July 29, 2009 at 12:31pm

HI there. This is SOOOOO great. I've always suggested to folks to imagine what a place would look like without chain link, and it always makes it easier to think about removing it.
I am also a realtor-and recently sent out a letter with a list of tips on how to improve your property (both value wise and visually), and suggested that whenever possible chain link should be removed. You and I are kindred spirits on this topic.
I had the chain link kfence removed before I bought my condo a few years back, and it transformed the property, and even made the adjacent properties look better as well. I recently had a listing on Day St-and tried to get the condo associationto remove the fence, and they balked due to the expense.
One item worth mentioning, the person who removed the chain link from my conod yard said that they can not be left in the trash, and cannot be disposed of at usual junk yards. The type of metal apparently is an issue. I never looked in to this further because he took it to a specific approved site, but this will make me look in to the disposal issue.
I live on Cornwall St now and have a significant amount of chain link to remove. I am in a struggle with my partner because we will have to go a while without a fence due the replacement cost, but I would rather risk trash floating in and tresspassers than look at this monstrosity much longer!
Keep up the crusade!!!!!
Oh-one more suggestion, if one MUST have chain link, painting it black helps it to disappear more in the landscape, which may seem counter intuitive, but it actually helps!

Permalink Reply by rebecca birnholz on July 29, 2009 at 12:52pm

Fantastic follow ups! and GREAT suggestions!!!!

I believe that you are right about the removal being an issue....on my st (Mark st) there is a practice of 'bribing' trash collectors to take away large construction debris....one of the owners on the street who owns 4 of the buildings there has been handling things this very 'boston' way for years.....but that can be an issue.

I cannot believe that the condo association you were dealing with was that opposed to the expense! thats crazy....

I took down chain link around my entire back yard and my neighbors in less than 1 hr! and paid $50 to have it taken away! It has drastically changed the feel....since my neighbors behind me had wood fence....the chain link was uncecessary....and my neighbors to the side love the open sharing feeling...and that they can clearly look into our gorgeous recently landscaped patio area....

while i know the saying...'good fences make good neighbors' I have to add a corilary that ' no fences makes even better neighbors!'

b*

Permalink Reply by Kendall on September 24, 2009 at 11:17am

The day my condo neighbors agree to take down the chain link fence I will do a happy dance in the middle of Day st. There is nothing uglier to me...I hate it. Hopefully by spring we can get this thing gone. So I'm totally with you Becky...its just not totally my decision!!

thanks for your work!!!!

Kendall

Permalink Reply by Bob Boutwell on December 28, 2009 at 6:51pm

Hi Amanda,
I've lived on Evergreen (across the street from your house) for 36 years, longer than either of your neighbors. If I recall correctly, the chain link fences were up before either of your neighbors moved in. I think it's possible that the chain link fences on either side of your property might be yours – or at least common property for your condos. They were probably put up by the Sheehan family, who lived there for 60 years or more. There's a son who lives in Arlington and a daughter in Marlborough, I believe. Both are over 65. They might know who put them up.

At any rate, if your neighbors agreed to have the fences taken down, they likely would want some other type of fence in place, since all three houses have dogs.

Let me know if you need more info.
Bob

Permalink Reply by Bob Boutwell on December 28, 2009 at 6:56pm

By the way, a less expensive alternative to replacing the fences would be to attach some other material to the chain-link fence. I attached 5-foot tall split bamboo fencing to the chain-link fences at the back and side of my back yard. It looks so much better, and provides some privacy and a nice background for landscaping. The only downside is that squirrels and other animals will tear down sections of it periodically, and you have to replace small sections of it from time to time, but that's relatively easy and inexpensive.

Permalink Reply by Jennie P on October 13, 2009 at 3:50pm

i hate chain link fences. come on, WHY? there are other cheap, nice looking ways to have a fence. my next door neighbor has this gorgeous home she takes really good care of, and there's a chain link fence in front - makes NO sense! fugly.