Chapter 19.728 — Development Standards—Fences, Walls, Hedges, and Berms

• A. No fence shall be constructed within the mixed-use zones until the plans and design for such fence have been approved pursuant to the zoning compliance review procedure (Section 19.128.090 ). In addition, a fence may require a building permit from the Building Division.

• B. All fences, whether required or not, shall be located and limited in accordance with provisions of this Division.

• C. Fences are required under various provisions of this Division and other laws, including, but not limited to, the screening and protection of parking areas, storage areas, swimming and therapeutic pools, and utility facilities. Such required fences together with the facilities and activities required to be enclosed shall be located so as not to conflict with open space and yard setback requirements.

• D. Conflict with State Law. In the case of fencing requirements pursuant to state law which unavoidably conflict with the requirements of this Division, the state requirements shall prevail.

• E. As defined in Section 19.104.080 , the term "fence" as used in this Division means fence, freestanding wall, hedge, or berm unless otherwise specifically stated.

• (Ord. 1754, 6/24/2025)

• A. General. A solid wall, fence, hedge, or berm no more than two (2) feet in height may be permitted anywhere on a lot. A non-view obscuring fence, such as wrought iron, may be permitted as follows:

  1. A maximum of 4.5-foot high fence may be permitted anywhere on a lot.

  2. A maximum of a 6-foot high decorative fence may be permitted along any street frontage at a distance equal to or greater than the required parking setback for the Mixed-Use Zone (Section 19.720.010 Setbacks). This provision shall not supersede the requirements in Chapter 19.732 .

• B. Interior Lots. On interior lots, a fence, wall, or hedge not exceeding 8 feet above the adjacent natural grade may be located anywhere on the lot behind the required front yard setback line.

• C. Corner Lots. On corner lots, a fence, wall, or hedge not exceeding 8 feet in height above the adjacent natural grade may be located anywhere on the lot behind the required front yard setback line and behind the required corner side yard setback line.

• D. Retaining Wall below Natural Grade. Where a retaining wall protects a cut below the natural grade and is located on the line separating lots or parcels, the retaining wall may be topped by a wall, fence, or hedge of the same height that would otherwise be permitted at the location if no retaining wall existed.

• E. Retaining Wall Containing Fill. Where a retaining wall contains a fill, the height of the retaining wall built to retain the fill shall be considered as contributing to the permissible height of a wall, fence, or hedge, provided that in any event, a protective fence or wall not more than 3 feet in height may be erected at the top of the retaining wall. Any portion of a fence above the maximum height shall be an open-work fence. An openwork fence means a fence in which the component solid portions are evenly distributed and constitute not more than 60 percent of total surface area of the face of the fence.

• F. Open Space. No wall, fence, or hedge exceeding 2 feet in height may be located in open space required between buildings when the buildings are situated front to front, front to rear, or front to end.

• G. Freeway Right-of-Way Adjacent. A wall or fence not exceeding 8 feet in height may be constructed along that portion of a lot or parcel that abuts a freeway right-of-way, provided that:

  1. The wall or fence does not extend into any front yard.

  2. A wall or fence exceeding 6 feet in height shall be subject to discretionary approval, which shall consider the effect of such wall or fence on other property in the vicinity.

  3. Walls used for sound attenuation purposes along arterial roadways shall be attractive and subject to discretionary approval.

• H. Adjacent Residential Zones. Any other provision of this Chapter notwithstanding, a wall, fence, or hedge that is provided along a common property line separating property used for commercial purposes from a single-family zoned property or any PUD established exclusively for residential use, and that is permitted or required to maintain a height of 6 feet, may be extended to a height not to exceed 8 feet.

• I. Railroad or Flood Control Channel Adjacent. When commercial property has a common property line with a single-family zoned property or any PUD established exclusively for residential use, and that is a right-of-way for a railroad or flood control channel, City Council may waive the requirement for a zone separation wall or fence.

• J. Setback Area. Notwithstanding the above requirements, no fence, wall, or hedge shall be permitted within any required street-fronting setback area for any commercial or residential/commercial mixed-use development, with the exception of any fence or wall required for any outdoor dining area.

• (Ord. 1754, 6/24/2025)

• A. All fences in every mixed-use zone, whether required or not, shall:

  1. Utilize no salvaged materials unless reconditioned or refinished.

  2. Be suitably finished on both sides.

  3. Utilize colors and materials that are compatible with the property and neighborhood.

  4. All fences shall be maintained in good repair and appearance.

• B. Perimeter walls shall incorporate various textures, staggered setbacks, and variations in height in conjunction with landscaping to provide visual interest and to soften the appearance of perimeter walls. Perimeter walls shall incorporate wall inserts and/or decorative columns or pilasters to provide visual relief. The maximum unbroken length of a perimeter wall shall be 50 feet.

• C. All non-transparent perimeter walls and/or fences shall be architecturally treated on both sides and shall incorporate landscaping whenever possible.

• D. Wall design and selection of materials shall consider maintenance issues, especially graffiti removal and long-term maintenance.

• E. Wall caps are to be incorporated as a horizontal design element at the top of walls and should not exceed 4 inches vertically.

• F. Visually penetrable materials (e.g., wrought iron or tubular steel) shall be used in areas of high activity (i.e., pools, playgrounds) and areas adjacent to street frontage.

• G. Screen walls, sound walls, and retaining walls shall be used to mitigate noise generators and provide privacy for residents.

• H. Sight-obscuring screening shall be provided for all garbage and trash collection areas, approved outdoor storage, and parking lots abutting a single-family residential development. Such screening shall be 6 feet in height.

• I. Chain Link and Wire Fencing. Except within the COMU zone and as permitted within this section, there shall be no use of chain link or wire fencing in a location between a street and any

buildings on a property or which otherwise faces a street property line within public view.

1. Chain link fencing may be used within such areas for approved temporary uses and for the purpose of temporarily securing vacant or vacated properties and construction sites.

2. For site screening purposes, a chain link gate with screening slats may be used across driveways within such areas.

3. For temporary site screening purposes for a period of 3 years or less, a chain link fence with screening slats may be used around soil remediation equipment.

• J. Vision Clearance Area. Any fence within the required vision clearance area adjacent to any driveway or alley where it intersects with a public street, as defined under Section 19.728.020 , shall not be a view-obscuring fence.

• K. Any masonry wall shall be of a minimum 6-inch-wide block construction. In addition, the wall shall be of ornamental masonry in earthtone colors compatible with the structures on the property. Standard grey or pink block shall not be considered as ornamental masonry and may not be used except to match existing adjacent walls.

• (Ord. 1754, 6/24/2025)

• A. Any parallel fences constructed with less than 3 feet separation shall be considered double fences. It is the intent of the City to discourage double fences whenever possible in order to avoid areas in which children and animals may become lodged, areas which may encourage rodent infestation, and areas which may accumulate litter and debris.

• B. In instances where double fences are unavoidable, the gap between the fences shall be completely sealed with flashing, cement cap, or other material in a manner acceptable to the Planning and Building Divisions.

• C. Where a new fence is required along a property line and an existing fence or wall is located on the opposite side of the property line, the Director may suspend the requirement for the new fence provided that the existing fence can substantially satisfy all requirements of this Division and/or any conditions of an approval. Such suspension shall become null and void once the adjacent wall or fence is removed or found unacceptable by the Director and the requirement for the new fence shall be completed at such time.

• (Ord. 1754, 6/24/2025)

A. General Requirements.

1. Definition. For the purpose of this section, security gates shall be defined as any gate, door, or other barrier that limits or restricts public access to or from a property. This definition does not include any barrier securing a pool area, an individual garage, private patio, yard, or living area, or such storage room, recreation rooms, or similar areas not intended for general public access.

2. Proposed residential developments in the mixed-use zones shall indicate during the site plan process prospective plans for future security gates and fencing installation.

3. Security gates shall conform to all other provisions of this chapter, except where such provisions may conflict with the requirements of this section.

• B. Pedestrian Access. For any security gate that restricts pedestrian access to dwelling units of any residential development in the mixed-use zones, an intercom or telephone system shall be provided at the gate for each dwelling unit with restricted access as a condition of approval of the security gate.

• C. Vehicular Access. For any security gate that restricts vehicular access onto any multifamily residential development in the mixed-use zones, the following requirements shall apply;

  1. All vehicular security gates shall be constructed of material that is not view-obscuring.

  2. All vehicular security gates shall be automatically operated by remote control devices. Furthermore, such vehicular gates shall not be permitted to swing in or out.

  3. Pedestrian Access. A separate pedestrian walkway leading from the public sidewalk into a development shall be provided for any development with a security gate across a vehicular access driveway.

  4. Gate Width. Vehicular entry gates shall open a minimum 20 feet to completely clear the minimum driveway width. Additional width may be required by the City for access or circulation purposes.

  5. Gate Setback.

     • a. For any development located on a street with a traffic count of 2,000 cars or fewer per day, a security gate across a vehicular driveway shall be set back from the street property line a minimum of 15 feet, except that, for an existing development, the setback may be reduced to a minimum 12 feet if it is deemed necessary.

     • b. For any development located on a street with a traffic count of more than 2,000 cars per day, a security gate across a vehicular driveway shall be set back from the street property line a minimum of 40 feet.

  6. Vehicular Turnaround. A turnaround area outside of the gate shall be required for any development of 2 or more units which is located on a street with a traffic count of more than 2,000 cars per day or for any development of more than 20 dwelling units.

7. Trash Pickup. A means of entry, to be approved by the City-franchised trash disposal service, shall be provided which automatically opens the vehicular gate(s) for trash pickup. Furthermore, all 3 cubic yard trash bins shall remain within City-approved trash storage facilities for removal by the franchise service at the location of the trash storage area.

• D. Emergency Response Access. Prior to the issuance of any permits, fence plans with security gates shall be reviewed and approved by the City Fire and Police Departments as to any required compliance with the following standards.

  1. To facilitate access by Fire Department personnel, a key switch box, or other approved device, shall be provided for all pedestrian and vehicular security gates.

  2. To facilitate access by City law enforcement officers, a keypad, or other approved device, shall be provided for all pedestrian and vehicular security gates. Furthermore, vehicular gates must provide egress for law enforcement vehicles.

• (Ord. 1754, 6/24/2025)

Chapter 19.732. Development Standards—Landscaping