MALVERN, Pa.– Bambi won’t be dining at M. Night Shyamalan’s estate anytime soon.
Township officials ruled Wednesday that “The Sixth Sense” director’s 8-foot deer fence can continue to surround his property in the suburban Philadelphia countryside.
Neighbors complained that Willistown Township erred in granting a permit for the plastic netting barrier, saying it blocked their views and hurt property values.
“While those views are not lost on the board, our decision must be based upon … a fair interpretation of the zoning ordinance provisions that are at issue,” the zoning board ruled.
After the fence flap surfaced in November, the township repealed the provision that permitted 8-foot-high fences. Now the limit is 6 feet.
Fred B. Fromhold, Shyamalan’s attorney, said he was pleased by the ruling.
Shyamalan bought part of the 500-acre estate two years ago.
Township officials said Shyamalan had expressed an interest in creating formal gardens and a desire to keep them from becoming deer buffets. The very private 36-year-old director has not discussed what he is doing with the property, though contractors are working there.
