19.06.09 Screening and Fencing Requirements and Restrictions

This Section outlines provisions that govern the heights of screening and fencing. 1. Front yards: fences exceeding three feet in height shall not be erected in any front yard space of any residential lot. 2. Street side yards: fencing in street side yards adjacent to a driveway shall not exceed three feet for a distance of fifteen feet back from the intersection of driveway and sidewalk, or driveway and property line where no sidewalk exists as shown in the drawing below. Fencing shall also comply with all other clear sight triangle requirements as stated in 19.06. See Figures 6.1 and 6.2 below: Lot Figure 6.1 Lot 6 foot fence area 3 foot fence area Figure 6.2 Lot 3 foot fence area 6 foot fence area Lot Property Lines Clear Vision 15’ Triangle 6 foot fence area 6 foot fence area 6 foot fence area 3 foot fence area 3 foot fence area 30’ Clear Vision Triangle 3. Retaining walls: for construction of retaining walls four feet or taller in height of unbalanced fill or for any wall supporting surcharge loads, a building permit must be obtained. Prior to construction of retaining walls, Chapter 18 of the City Code shall be consulted to determine if a grading permit is also required. Where there is a difference in elevation on opposite sides of the fence, the height of the fence shall be measured from the ground level on the highest side of the wall when the fence is placed on top of the wall. If the fence is placed at the bottom of the wall, the fence height shall be measured from the ground it is placed upon and there shall be at least two feet to access and maintain the retaining wall. Retaining walls shall follow all applicable regulations outlined in Chapter 19.10 of the City Code, regardless of slope. 4. Height. Approval of fences over six feet in height will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the City Council for all new developments if fencing is proposed during the subdivision review process, or by the Planning Director for all developments that have received final approval; however, in no case will a fence be allowed to exceed eight feet in height, other than approved parallel fences for sports courts. The following criteria shall be applied in making this determination: a. compatibility with fences of surrounding uses; b. quality of proposed materials; c. aesthetics of proposed materials; d. requirements of applicable development agreements; e. intensity of existing surrounding uses; and f. applicable conditions of approval. 5. Prohibited fencing: a. No barbed wire, chain link, razor, or wire (agricultural, electric, chicken wire, mesh wire, hog fencing, etc.) fences shall be allowed. This does not apply to chain link or wire fences if the fence: i. is not being used to delineate lot boundaries; and ii. is being used for Agricultural uses or otherwise for the keeping of animals; and iii. does not occupy more than 50 percent of any residential yard; or iv. is for back stops, sports fields, or sport court fencing within a public or private park. b. No fencing that parallels existing fencing shall be permitted within an existing fenced yard. Exceptions: i. interior fencing to enclose chickens, bees, or other livestock as otherwise specifically permitted under this Code, and any fencing of three feet or less in height within an existing fenced yard. ii. Fencing not closer than 3 feet from the perimeter fencing with access to maintain the area between fences. iii. Fencing around sport courts, including fencing for tennis courts, batting cages, pickleball courts, ball diamond backstops, etc. subject to the following requirements: 1. fencing shall not exceed fifteen (15) feet in height within singlefamily lots and eighteen (18) fee within multi-family developments; and 2. fencing shall not make up any part of a perimeter fence; and 3. fencing shall be located entirely within the Rear Yard of Street Side Yard of the lot for single-family residences; and 4. fencing shall not be located within three (3) feet of the rear and side property lines; and 5. fencing shall not be located closer than three (3) feet to the primary or accessory structure; and 6. fencing shall be at least 75 percent open, and be one of the following; a. chain link fence without slats, b. vinyl covered chain link without slats, or c. Sports netting or mesh. 6. Double frontages: where lots have frontages onto more than one street, that area designated by the property owner as the rear yard may have a solid or view obstructing fence, wall, or hedge not exceeding six feet in height. Where the double frontage lot is also a corner lot (three frontages), clear sight across corner property shall be required and enforced. See Section 19.06.11, Clear Sight Triangles. 7. Non-residential and Multi-family: fencing and other screening materials for multifamily, residential, commercial, or industrial projects must receive approval by the Land Use Authority through the Site Plan review process. See Chapter 19.13 for Site Plan review requirements. In addition, the following criteria shall be applied: a. compatibility with fences of surrounding uses; b. quality of proposed materials; c. aesthetics of proposed materials; d. requirements of applicable development agreements; e. intensity of existing surrounding uses; and f. applicable conditions of approval. 8. Required residential fencing: fencing in residential development shall be placed along property lines abutting open space, parks, canals, and trails. In addition, fencing may also be required adjacent to undeveloped properties. a. In an effort to promote safety for citizens and security for homeowners, fences along open space, parks, canals, and trails shall be semi-private. Exception: privacy fencing is permitted for property lines abutting trail corridors that are not City maintained and are both adjacent to and visible from an arterial. b. Fencing along arterial roads shall be of a consistent material and color within each development. c. Fencing along open space, parks, and trails may be less than six feet in height but shall not be less than three feet in height, at the discretion of the property owner or HOA as applicable.