Staff proposes fence-code changes to reduce variance burden, retain complaint-based enforcement

Sarah Roman, a senior planner with the city’s Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED) team, presented proposed text amendments to the city fence ordinance on July 23, 2026.

Roman said the changes were prompted by frequent requests and citations to council offices and would aim to reduce the number of variance applications. The three proposals are: allowing a 6-foot corner-side-yard fence to extend to the front wall of the house if the top 2 feet are open and decorative; restoring earlier allowances in front yards so open decorative fences up to 4 feet and opaque walls up to 3 feet would again be permitted; and adding a narrowly drawn interior-side-yard provision to prevent fences constructed on property lines from blocking adjacent doors and creating safety problems.

Roman said staff will continue to enforce fences on a complaint basis, not by routine permitting: "Enforcement will still be complaint based. That is what the staff has capacity for at this point in time." She told the board Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on Aug. 10 and the item is expected before the Biz Committee in September, giving the board and public time to submit comments. Staff also committed to updating handouts, coordinating contractor outreach, and considering clearer diagrams and simplified regulatory language to reduce confusion.