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After the fence flap surfaced in November, the township repealed the provision that permitted 8-foot-high fences.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.
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