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Commission pushes back on staff’s proposed 6‑ft fence definition, asks for 4‑ft front‑yard limit and guardrail exemptions
Summary
Staff proposed treating fences differently by height, but commissioners said 6‑ft privacy fences in front yards are inappropriate; they asked staff to lower the front‑yard limit to 4 feet and exempt code‑required guardrails and handrails.
The commission spent a sustained portion of the Nov. 12 work session on proposed changes to the city's fence and wall rules. Staff said fence and wall standards are entangled across the code and proposed a definition change to avoid rewriting multiple sections; staff initially described treating structures below 6 feet differently to keep walls rules intact.
Several commissioners reacted strongly that a 6‑ft privacy fence in a front yard is inappropriate for most residential contexts. One commissioner suggested a 4‑ft front‑yard limit while explicitly exempting building‑code guardrails and platform rails required for safety. Staff agreed to revise the definition and to align transition‑zone language so required 6‑ft transition fences do not unintentionally extend into front yards.
The commission did not adopt final language but directed staff to prepare a cleaner draft that makes a practical distinction between privacy fences and walls, preserves existing wall requirements, and includes clear exemptions for safety‑required railings.
