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Commission debates raising hedge height limit to 8 feet; staff recommends cap due to maintenance concerns
Summary
Staff recommended allowing hedges up to 8 feet tall in select corridors, citing arborist guidance and maintenance concerns; commissioners debated a citywide cap, exceptions for boats/RVs, and enforcement approaches.
City staff reported back on a request to consider raising allowable hedge heights and said the city arborist’s guidance is to allow up to 8 feet in selected locations but to avoid a citywide increase beyond that because of maintenance and visibility concerns.
Staff told the commission that hedges taller than 8 feet create maintenance challenges and may leave sparse growth at the bottom if not trimmed properly. Staff proposed limiting higher hedges to specific high‑traffic corridors or allowing the community development director, with manager approval, to grant individual exceptions for special circumstances such as boat or RV storage.
Several commissioners objected to a permitting or special‑case process and preferred to enforce maintenance requirements rather than require residents to obtain approvals. One commissioner said higher hedges often become sparse at the base and that maintenance problems mean taller hedges may not deliver the expected privacy or sound‑barrier benefits.
The manager and staff indicated they will work with the commissioners and the community development director to draft language for first reading; no formal ordinance vote occurred during the meeting. The commission asked staff to return with proposed ordinance language that balances privacy, hurricane safety and maintenance enforceability.
