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Staff recommends keeping existing hillside fence rules after one-off dispute; council may revisit R-1 code review
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Summary
Planning staff presented four options April 21 for addressing view-obstructing fences in the designated hillside area and recommended maintaining existing objective development standards; council members asked for more data and said they would consider changes as part of a future R-1 standards review if complaints increase.
Planning staff presented a first-step report April 21 on view-obstructing fences in the city's designated hillside area, outlining the history of regulations and four policy approaches. The staff recommendation was to maintain current objective standards while offering options for further analysis if complaints increase.
Principal planner Amanda Landry told council that prior to 2022 the city required a minor or major fence exception permit for all hillside fences; the permit requirement was removed to streamline R-1 development standards. Staff summarized four potential approaches: (1) reinstate minor/major fence exception permits; (2) create a new modified hillside development permit (HDP) for all fences; (3) target HDP review to fences likely to affect views (for example, solid fences over 5 feet); or (4) keep the existing objective standards. Staff recommended approach 4 unless council directs otherwise.
Council members emphasized the difficulty of defining "view" and the workload implications of reinstating discretionary review for many fences. Several council members suggested a targeted approach if the issue resurfaces; staff said they could study hillside lot configurations and return with proposals as part of planned R-1 standard refinements.
No regulatory changes were adopted. Council asked staff to monitor complaints; if the number of disputes grows, staff will bring a second-step report with community engagement options and refined code amendments.
