Woodland Hills council adopts package of ordinance changes on zoning, fences, sports courts and business licensing

The Woodland Hills City Council approved a package of land-use and administrative ordinance amendments during its April meeting, adopting a series of ordinances that update subdivision construction standards, expand which residential zones are subject to transient-housing rules, clarify fence-material rules and require permits and site plans for private sports courts.

The adopted ordinances change several provisions of Title 10 (zoning and development). Among the measures the council approved: a requirement that newly constructed homes within 300 feet of a main sewer line follow state connection rules (tie-in and lateral installation tied to new builds and major remodels); expansion of rules addressing transient housing so the threshold for short-term transient stays is 30 days (down from 90); an increase in allowed private garden area from 200 to 600 square feet subject to placement limits; clearer perimeter-fence dimensions and allowed materials (the ordinance language was amended to specify galvanized chain link where uncoated chain link had been listed); and a requirement that private sports courts be permitted with a site plan submitted to the city and reviewed through CityInspect.

Councilors also removed the planning commission from certain administrative reviews and substituted “the city” (city staff or designated reviewer) as the approving authority for some permit classes, citing timing and meeting-frequency concerns with the commission. In addition, text clarifying the distinction between business licenses and conditional-use permits was added to the municipal code so applicants can more easily determine whether a business license, a conditional-use permit, or both are required.

Council members discussed technical cleanups and phrasing changes (for example, clarifying “front plane” as the entire side of a residence that faces the street) and debated permitted fence finishes and whether vinyl-coated chain link should be listed; the council settled on wording specifying galvanized chain link in one location and clarifying other allowances elsewhere in the chapter. The sports-court change requires a site plan and permitting; lighting and nuisance concerns will remain subject to the city’s lighting standards and a future lighting ordinance update.

Votes at a glance - Ordinance 2025-11: Amend development and construction standards (subdivision 2.9.2). Motion and second recorded; ordinance adopted (roll-call votes recorded in minutes). - Ordinance 2025-12 through 2025-19: Series of code updates covering fencing materials/standards, garden areas, transient-housing period change, sports courts, business-license section reorganization and administrative-approval authority. Each ordinance was moved, seconded and adopted by the council during the same meeting; recorded roll-call votes appear in the official minutes.

Why it matters: The package updates multiple sections of the city code at once and affects building, permitting and enforcement for homeowners and small businesses. The change that removes some planning-commission review in favor of staff review is intended to speed approvals; the transient-housing limit and fencing rules will directly affect property owners and operators of short-term rentals.

What comes next: Council members flagged lighting (standards for sports-court illumination) and some ambiguous ordinance language for additional administrative edits; staff said they will prepare clarified language and incorporate agreed edits before final codification.