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County adopts objective fence standards to streamline permits in unincorporated Sonoma
Summary
Permit Sonoma’s amendments to Chapter 26 established objective standards for fence height, materials and permitting tiers, expanded agricultural exemptions to Rural Residential parcels, and reduced use‑permit workload; the board adopted the ordinance as amended by unanimous vote of members present.
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors on Friday adopted amendments to the county zoning code to establish objective standards for fences and simplify permit processes for common fence types in unincorporated areas.
Permit Sonoma staff explained the new tiered permitting framework: a no-permit tier for many low-height or open-design fences, an administrative-design-review tier for certain solid fences in more constrained districts, and a use‑permit or design‑review tier for exceptions and fences that exceed established thresholds. Staff defined “open” fences (≥90% vertical transparency) versus “solid” fences and listed allowable materials including wood, naturalistic composite wood, nonreflective metal finishes and woven wire fencing; materials such as razor wire and reflective metal were disallowed except in limited agricultural circumstances.
The planning commission had recommended that solid front-yard fences in AR and RR districts require a minor use permit; staff and several supervisors favored reverting to staff’s original recommendation to avoid reintroducing frequent use‑permit processing. The board accepted staff edits and expanded the agricultural-fence exemption (post-and-wire, split-rail or pipe fencing up to 8 feet) to include Rural Residential (RR) zoning where agricultural uses exist.
Supervisor Corsi and others noted the change would reduce the number of costly and time-consuming use permits for routine fencing, while staff emphasized safety considerations such as sight‑distance at intersections. The ordinance passed unanimously among the four members present.
