The purpose of this chapter to regulate the height and location
of fences to provide light, air, and privacy without obstructing views
or connectivity, to establish buffers between different land uses,
and to safeguard against visual obstructions at the intersections
of streets and/or driveways.
(Ord. No. 1000 § 4, 2022)
Unless otherwise exempt below, site development review [see section 17.16.100 (Site Development Review)] is required for new fences and walls. Fences and walls listed below are exempt from planning entitlements but may still require building permits.
A.
Retaining walls. Retaining walls less than 36 inches in height are exempt from the requirements of this chapter except for terraced walls as required in section 17.122.030 (Hillside Development).
B.
Residential fences and walls. Fences and walls located on residential property constructed in compliance with the requirements of section 17.48.030 (Location and Height Requirements).
C.
Required
fences and walls. The requirements of this chapter shall not apply
to a fence or wall required by any law or regulation of the city (including
temporary construction site fencing), county, state, or federal government,
or any agency thereof.
(Ord. No. 1000 § 4, 2022)
A.
Height
measurement. Fence and wall height shall be measured from the finish
grade at the base of the fence or wall to the uppermost part of the
fence or wall; except when there is a difference in the ground level
between two adjoining parcels, the fence or wall shall be measured
at the mid-point of the retaining wall height as measured on the side
with the lowest finish grade. See Figure 17.48.030-1 (Measurement
of Fence and Wall Height on Parcels with Different Elevations).
B.
Garden/terrace
walls. Adjacent walls are required to have a minimum separation of
three feet.
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FIGURE 17.48.030-1 MEASUREMENT OF FENCE AND WALL HEIGHT
ON PARCELS WITH DIFFERENT ELEVATIONS
 |
(Ord. No. 1000 § 4, 2022)
A.
Fencing,
wall, and screen materials. Fences, walls, and screens shall be constructed
of long-lasting materials and architecturally integrated with the
building design and with existing fences/walls on the site. The following
limitations apply:
1.
Fences
and walls when required for screening or to ensure privacy for outdoor
recreation areas shall be designed to ensure pedestrian and vehicle
connectivity between buildings, uses, and adjacent properties.
2.
Fences
and gates approved for screening purposes or to provide privacy for
outdoor areas in residential districts shall be solid wood with steel
frames, solid vinyl, tubular steel or wrought iron. Where tubular
steel wrought iron is used, it shall be backed by solid or perforated
metal sheeting painted to match the fence or gate. In new developments,
decorative block walls shall be used.
3.
Fences
and gates approved for screening purposes in industrial zone or in
form-based zone shall be metal, tubular steel, or wrought iron (open
fencing shall be backed by solid or perforated metal sheeting painted
to match the fence or gate). Split-face masonry walls, decorative
walls, or walls finished with stucco are also appropriate for screening
purposes. In the Industrial Zones the requirements for fences, walls,
and screening provided in section 17.36.040(D)(9)(a)(v) (Landscaping,
Screening, and Street Trees) shall also apply.
4.
Chain-link
fences and/or gates are not permitted for screening purposes in any
zone (including the Industrial Zones), including chain-link when backed
with wood or plastic slats, solid plastic sheet, or knitted fabric
privacy/wind screening.
5.
Alternative
materials may be approved by the planning director or planning commission
as part of a discretionary entitlement approval.
B.
Graffiti-resistance.
Graffiti-resistant aesthetic surface treatment shall be required for
all fences and walls adjacent to a public right-of-way, in a residential
zone, or as determined through the site development review process.
C.
Maintenance.
Fences, walls, and screens shall be continuously maintained in an
orderly and good condition, at no more than their maximum allowed
height.
(Ord. No. 1000 § 4, 2022)
A.
Applicable
to all land use types.
1.
Fencing
and walls for pools, spas, and similar features. Swimming pools, spas,
and other similar water features shall be enclosed in compliance with
building code requirements.
2.
Fences, walls, and screening between different land uses. Commercial, mixed use, and industrial uses shall be screened from adjacent residential zones by plant materials to screen the commercial, mixed use, or industrial use, as approved by the designated approving authority. A solid, decorative masonry wall with a minimum height of six feet is required between industrial uses and residential zones. Openings or pedestrian/bicycle connections are required to ensure safety, crime prevention, and adequate access and connectivity. Fences and walls are not allowed between projects in form-based zones or between a form-based zone and an adjacent residential zone where a new street, future connection, or street stub is proposed to comply with the block and connectivity requirements of article VIII (Form-Based Code). A landscaping strip with a minimum width of five feet shall be installed adjacent to a screening wall facing the public street.
3.
Temporary
fences. Nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to prohibit the erection
of a temporary fence around construction projects in compliance with
the building code and other applicable requirements of this code.
4.
Screening
standards for fire district connections and double check devices.
All ground-mounted equipment is required to be screened according
to the following standards. Option A is preferred. Option C should
only be used if the other two options are considered infeasible by
the planning director. Additional provisions apply to fire check valves
(as noted).
b.
Option B; metal screen with vines and equipment painted green.
i.
Provide metal screen fence painted dark green.
ii.
Plant climbing vines along the base of the screen.
iii.
Minimum three feet clearance between the equipment and the screen.
iv.
If concrete pad is provided around the base of the equipment, the
pad must be a minimum of three feet from the property line to allow
installation of landscaping.
v.
Minimum two feet from the face of the screen and the property line.
vi.
Paint the equipment dark green or equivalent.
c.
Option C; landscape screen and equipment painted green.
i.
This option can only be considered if the equipment can be adequately
screened by two rows of five-gallon shrubs. Otherwise only Option
A or B may be used.
ii.
Provide two rows of five-gallon shrubs.
iii.
Spaced 18 inches on center.
iv.
Minimum three feet clearance between the equipment and the shrubs
is required.
v.
If a concrete pad is provided around the base of the equipment, the
pad must be a minimum of two feet from the property line to allow
installation of landscaping.
vi.
No minimum clearance between the property line and the landscaping
is required.
d.
Additional requirements for fire district check valves.
B.
Fencing
and walls for agricultural land uses. All fences or walls which enclose
livestock shall be constructed of an adequate height and shall be
designed so as to control and contain such livestock at all times.
C.
Residential
zones.
1.
Trail
fences and gates shall be kept in good repair at all times, including
replacing damaged members and maintaining plumb. This shall not preclude
the property owner from replacing the existing trail fence with another
fence or wall material.
2.
Height.
The height of fences in residential district is limited according
to the following table.
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TABLE 17.48.050-1 MAXIMUM HEIGHT OF FENCES AND WALLS IN REQUIRED
YARD AREA
| ||
|---|---|---|
|
Location of Fence/Wall/Screening
|
Location or Minimum Set-back of Fence (1), (2)
|
Maximum Height (1)
|
|
Required front yard area
|
0 ft (2)
|
3 ft/ 6 ft (3)
|
|
Required rear and interior side yard area (along rear and interior
property lines)
|
0 ft
|
6 ft
|
|
Required street side yard area (along corner side property lines)
|
5 ft (2)
|
6 ft
|
|
At intersections of streets, alleys, and driveways within the
clear visibility triangle
|
Varies (4)
|
36 in
|
|
All other areas of lot
|
0 ft
|
6 ft
|
|
Table Notes:
| |
|---|---|
|
(1)
|
As part of site development review, design review (minor or
major), or other discretionary entitlement, the designated approving
authority may grant additional height or location requirements to
enclose or screen specific areas or uses or for fences and walls designed
for noise attenuation.
|
|
(2)
|
Setback area for street side yard is measured property line
to the fence or wall.
|
|
(3)
|
Height of front yard fence or wall may be increased to a maximum
of six feet if the top three feet of fencing is constructed of material
that is 90 percent visually open and transparent (e.g., picket fence,
open wood slats, open wrought iron) including any architectural features
designed as part of the fence (e.g., pilasters and lights).
|
|
(4)
|
See definition of clear vision triangle in section 17.140 (Universal
Definitions).
|
3.
Outdoor
recreation courts. Fencing for outdoor recreation courts (e.g., tennis
courts, basketball courts) shall not exceed 12 feet in height and
shall be located five feet from any rear or side property lines, except
when adjacent to outdoor recreation courts on adjacent properties.
4.
Development
interconnectivity. Perimeter walls shall only be permitted to address
noise impacts generated by, for example, vehicle traffic on freeways
or streets. Complete connectivity and access between: (a) residential
uses; and (b) residential and commercial or mixed-uses is required.
D.
Form-based
zones.
1.
Outdoor
storage (including all dumpsters, commercial items, commercial construction,
or industrial-related materials and equipment, including trucks and
trailers, within form-based zones) shall be fenced or screened from
view. Such screening shall utilize enclosures including, but not limited
to, fences, walls, landscaping, or earthen berms, so that no outdoor
storage is visible from any public rights-of-way, parks, public trails,
and adjacent properties. Screening shall be visually compatible with
the primary buildings and landscape on the property.
2.
Screening
of loading docks and refuse areas. Loading docks and refuse storage
areas shall be screened from public view, adjoining public streets
and rights-of-way and residentially zoned areas. The method of screening
shall be architecturally compatible with other on-site development
in terms of colors and materials. Trash enclosures shall be consistent
with city standard drawings. Exceptions may be permitted through the
administrative design review process for sites with unique characteristics
(e.g., shallow lot depth, adjacency to single-family residential).
3.
Development
interconnectivity. Excluding required screening, projects with perimeter
fencing or walls and gated communities are prohibited in form-based
zones.
E.
Industrial
zones.
1.
Storage
area/screening. The purpose of storage area/screening regulations
is to allow for on-site storage, which is screened from view from
the public right-of-way or from adjacent properties accessible to
the public and is architecturally compatible with the surrounding
environment. The following standards shall apply according to land
use category:
a.
Standards for storage area/screen wall height in all industrial zones.
The height of all storage area/screening walls shall not exceed eight
feet, measured from the finished grade immediately adjacent to the
wall and the top of the wall.
b.
Neo-Industrial (NI) Zone. All materials, supplies, equipment, loading
docks, and trucks and trailers shall be stored within an enclosed
building or an area screened from public view.
c.
Industrial Employment (IE) Zone. All materials, supplies, equipment,
and operating trucks shall be stored within an enclosed building or
storage area. Such storage areas within 120 feet of a street frontage
shall be screened.
d.
Within 600 feet of the I-15 right-of-way, all outdoor storage shall
be screened from public view from the freeway. Screening may include
the use or combination of block or masonry walls, 36-inch box trees
planted a maximum of 30 feet apart, or the building mass.
e.
Within all industrial land use categories, all storage area screening shall be architecturally integrated with surrounding buildings utilizing concrete, masonry, or other similar materials. For walls comprised of the combination of a screen wall on top of a retaining wall, the over-all height of the combined wall may exceed eight feet provided that the part of the wall that faces the public right-of-way (street, sidewalk, etc.), does not exceed the maximum height established in subsection (E)(1)(a) above.
f.
Within the Industrial Employment (IE) Zone, storage area screening
may include masonry or concrete walls and, metal, or wood fences.
The front and exterior side area shall be screened with non-opaque
fencing, when loading areas or storage areas are not present.
g.
Storage of materials or equipment shall not exceed screen height
within 100 feet of street-fronting screens.
h.
The planning director may waive screening requirements where future
building expansion would screen an abutting storage area.
i.
The planning director may waive screening requirements along the
front and exterior side of the building if there are no loading docks
or storage areas present.
2.
Security
fences and walls. The purpose of security fencing and wall standards
is to provide for a safe environment for businesses within the industrial
area.
a.
Site planning, including building configuration and placement, is
encouraged to create defined areas that may be adequately secured.
b.
Any wall or fence along a street frontage over three feet in height
is subject to the streetscape setback requirements.
c.
Within all industrial land use categories except the Industrial Employment (IE) Zone, all fencing or walls shall be wrought iron, concrete, masonry, or other similar materials, not to exceed the maximum height established in section 17.48.050(E)(1)(a). The use of barbed wire or similar materials is prohibited from these land use categories. Chain-link fencing is not permitted in the area(s) of a property that is/are located between the public right-of-way (street, sidewalk, etc.), and the building wall plane(s) of the building(s) on the property, that face(s) the public right-of-way. Chain-link fencing may only be used along the side and rear property lines, and within the interior of the property, if the fencing will not be visible from any portion of the public right-of-way that is adjacent to the property.
d.
Within the Industrial Employment (IE) Zone, security fencing may
include wrought iron, masonry or concrete walls, and wood or metal
fences. Barbed wire may be permitted atop fencing.
3.
Trash
enclosures. City standard drawings shall be used for all trash enclosures.
(Ord. No. 1000 § 4, 2022; Ord. No. 1015 § 3, 2023; Ord. No. 1017 § 7, 2023)
