Commission clarifies sport-court rules: permits required, fences allowed but limited to 18 feet

WOODLAND HILLS, Utah — The Woodland Hills Planning Commission adopted revised language on sport courts at its March 19 meeting, clarifying that sport courts do not require fences but that any fence used as part of a sports court must be permitted and may not exceed 18 feet above natural grade.

Commission chairman Wayne Franson summarized the change as a return to the ordinance's original intent: "For purpose of this subsection, a sport court is an area for recreational activities that may use a fence to keep balls of cetera from leaving the area. So it doesn't require a fence, but it it may." The revised text requires a site plan and any other information the city needs to permit a sport court.

Commissioners and residents debated setbacks, fence type and lighting. Several commissioners noted that the revision ties sports-court placement to the same area on a lot where an accessory building may be constructed, but some members urged reconsideration of that setback restriction for closely spaced lots. Commissioner Laurie Thomas said allowing courts closer to property lines could be desirable for some neighborhoods; another commissioner warned that removing setback limits might create control problems for light and spillover.

The commission also confirmed that lighting must comply with the city's lighting ordinance and that fences used for sport courts must meet the city's fence rules; the sport-court provision specifies a maximum fence height of 18 feet above natural grade. The commission voted to adopt the revised sport-court language and will ask staff to review any remaining wording issues, including how the accessory-building setback interacts with neighborhood configurations.