CHAPTER 16

 

FENCING REQUIREMENTS

 

1610    Required screening fences

1620    Sight triangle definition

1630    Fences in residential neighborhoods

1640    Fences in flood and drainage areas

 

SECTION 1610          REQUIRED SCREENING FENCES

 

  1. All residential uses, including, but not limited to, single-family attached and detached, duplexes, multi-family, mobile homes, etc., that back up to any arterial road, shall be screened with a solid opaque fence to provide screening of the rear yards of the residential property.  Parks, swimming pools, and other amenities included within a residential subdivision and adjacent to an arterial may be bordered with a decorative fence, approved by the Community Development Department, in lieu of a screening fence.  All multi-family residences, mobile home parks and all industrial uses that adjoin any arterial or collector street or highway, shall be screened with a solid opaque fence that provides screening of all yards.  Screening fences shall not be less than six (6) feet nor more than ten (10) feet in height; provided that such fences shall not be permitted in any stormwater drainage easement, established floodplain, sight triangle areas, nor block ingress and egress.
  2. All non-single-family and non-duplex uses shall be screened from any adjacent single-family and duplex uses by a screening wall or fence.  Such screening wall or fence 1) shall be constructed, designed, and arranged to provide visual separation of uses, irrespective of vegetation, 2) shall not be less than six (6) feet in height, 3) shall be constructed with all braces and supports on the interior, except when both sides are of the same design and appearance, 4) shall be constructed prior to the occupancy of the building or initiation of the use required to screen, and 5) shall be of the type of materials compatible with the surrounding area.
  3. On or after the effective day of this Ordinance, all new wooden screening fences, including replacements for existing wooden screening fences that are required by the Zoning Ordinance or are constructed as perimeter fencing for new subdivisions, shall have the vertical support posts constructed of permanent building materials that may include but not be limited to a minimum of schedule 40 galvanized steel posts with an outside diameter equal to or larger than two and three-eighths (2 3/8) inch, masonry columns at least one foot square, or pvc fencing using dual extruded pvc posts.  Required screening fences, as well as privacy fences that are not required by this code, shall be constructed with all braces and supports on the interior.  The Community Development Department may permit alternative support posts as part of any site/landscape plan review, as long as the materials used meet or exceed the wind load capabilities of the materials listed above.  Footings shall be constructed of concrete or equivalent materials.  Any existing fence otherwise lawful at the time of construction and thereafter maintained may continue throughout its useful life; however, the replacement of such fence or other repair of more than thirty (30) consecutive linear feet shall require the replacement or repair to conform to the standards listed herein.  Unless otherwise approved by the Community Development Department, all fencing shall be uniform in height.  Replacement fencing/screening, excluding support posts, shall retain its original height and material and the top elevation shall match the adjoining elevation.
  4. The exterior of required screening fences shall be uniform for the entire length of the development.

 

SECTION 1620          SIGHT TRIANGLE DEFINITION

 

An area of land located adjacent to the intersection of two (2) or more streets, which area of land is bounded by a line measured from the center of a connecting street and extended along the curb line of a corner lot for a distance of seventy-five (75) feet, to an end point to form one boundary of the triangle, and bounded by a line measured from the center of the second connecting street and extended along the second curb line of the corner lot for a distance of seventy five (75) feet to an end point to form the second boundary of the triangle; and bounded by a straight line connecting the two (2) end points of the first two (2) boundaries.  This triangle has been determined for regulatory purposes to be sufficient for the drivers of two (2) vehicles traveling at twenty-five (25) miles per hour or less and approaching an uncontrolled intersection on separate, interconnecting, level and dry streets to view each other and take appropriate actions safely.  This triangle has also been determined for regulatory purposes to be sufficient for pedestrian traffic, which may be augmented by toys such as roller skates, skateboards, sleds and similar devices.

 

SECTION 1630          FENCES IN RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS

 

  1. Fences or vegetation having a screening effect shall not be permitted or allowed by the owner to grow on any corner lot within the sight triangle of a corner lot.
  2. Fences shall not be constructed in the street right-of-way, whether such right-of-way is held as an easement or in fee.
  3. If additional fences are constructed on the residential lot, such fences adjoining any arterial, collector, or minor street, shall be not less than six (6) feet or more than eight (8) feet in height.  Fences adjoining a highway shall be not less than six (6) feet or more than ten (10) feet in height.
  4. Fences in residential areas may be constructed on property lines, in side yards, and rear yards.  However, no fences higher than thirty (30) inches may be constructed in any front yard as defined by this code.
  5. If the landowner of a corner lot constructs a fence within a side yard and rear yard in accordance with Section 11.2, and if the rear portion of these yards of the corner lot abut the side yard of a neighboring lot, then any such fence built between the building setback line and the property line must be so constructed as to allow the driver of a vehicle on the neighboring lot to have a clear view of the street and all traffic thereon, for a distance of seventy-five (75) feet in each direction from the point of entrance into the street right-of-way from the neighboring lot.  For the purpose of this subsection, the rear portion of the corner lot will be deemed to abut a neighboring side yard only if the two (2) yards form a common boundary along the majority of their length.

 

SECTION 1640          FENCES IN FLOOD AND DRAINAGE AREAS

 

No fences, other than an open split rail fence or barbed wire fence, shall be constructed in any one hundred-year floodplain area.  No fences other than open split rail or barbed wire shall be constructed in drainage easements that are not in the 100-year floodplain area unless the owner has been given the written approval of the Public Works Department following their investigation of the consequences to the drainage.