§ 19.428

• A. Required Permits and Approvals. No fence shall be constructed within the RM zones until the plans and design for such fence shall have been approved pursuant to the zoning compliance review procedure (Section 19.128.090 ). In addition, a fence may require a building permit from the Building Division.

  1. Building Permit. Fences and walls may require a building permit as required by the California Building Code. Fences over 6 feet in height and block walls will require a building permit with the exception of the following: block or retaining walls that are not over 4 feet (1,219 mm) in height measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, unless supporting a surcharge.

• B. Furthermore, except for a lot developed with only one dwelling unit, no fence within a required yard adjacent to a street or a security gate as defined in Section 19.428.060 shall be constructed until the plans and design for such fence shall have been approved by the Director pursuant to the interdepartmental review process (Section 19.128.100 )

• C. All fences, whether required or not, shall be located and limited in accordance with provisions of this Division.

• D. Fences are required under various provisions of this Division and other laws, including, but not limited to, the screening and protection of parking areas, storage areas, swimming and therapeutic pools, and utility facilities. Such required fences together with the facilities and activities required to be enclosed shall be located so as not to conflict with open space and yard setback requirements.

• E. Conflict with State Law. In the case of fencing requirements pursuant to state law which unavoidably conflict with the requirements of this Division, the state requirements shall prevail.

• F. As defined in Section 19.104.080 , the term "fence" as used in this Division means fence, freestanding wall, gate, hedge, or berm unless otherwise specifically stated.

• (Ord. 1754, 6/24/2025)

• A. For any use in the RM zones, other than a single-family dwelling (one dwelling on a lot) and a mobilehome park in the RMH zone, the following fence height requirements shall apply;

  1. With the exception of a required yard abutting a street, a maximum 7-foot-high fence may be permitted anywhere on a lot.

  2. Yards Abutting a Street. Within a required yard abutting a street, a maximum 6-foot-high fence may be permitted, subject to the following setback requirements and the design and material requirements of Section 19.428.030 :

     • a. For any portion of a fence which is not view-obscuring, other than the provision of pilasters and vines, there shall be a minimum 3-foot setback from the street property line for that portion of fence.

     • b. For any solid or view-obscuring portion of a fence, there shall be a minimum 5-foot setback from the street property line for that portion of fence.

  3. For any fence over 2 feet in height within the required 15 feet by 15 feet vision clearance area adjacent to any driveway or alley where it intersects with a public street as defined under Section 19.436.030 shall meet the design requirements of Section 19.428.030 .

• B. Single-Family Dwelling. For a single-family dwelling in the RM zones, the fence height requirements of Section 19.328.020 shall apply with the exception that a 6-foot maximum height fence may be permitted within the minimum required front yard with a 15-foot setback from the front property line.

• C. Mobilehome Park. For a mobilehome park in the RMH zone, separate fence height requirements apply pursuant to Section 19.448.010 .

• D. The maximum height of any fence in the multifamily residential zones shall be 7 feet, except where a greater height is required for noise reduction as determined by an acoustical analysis.

• (Ord. 1754, 6/24/2025)

• A. All fences in multifamily residential zones, whether required or not, shall:

  1. Utilize no salvaged materials.

  2. Be suitably finished on both sides.

  3. Utilize colors and materials that are compatible with the property and neighborhood.

  4. All fences shall be maintained in good repair and appearance.

• B. In the RM-10 and RM-20 zones, chain link and wire fences shall be prohibited, except that chain link may be used for temporarily securing construction sites and vacant or vacated property.

• C. All fences shall have an ornamental finish in subdued earthtone colors compatible with the structures on the property. Furthermore,

  1. Block walls shall be of ornamental masonry construction or finish. A common grey or pink block wall shall not be considered as an ornamental masonry or finish.

  2. Wood fences shall be of durable construction and finished appearance, and shall be painted or stained.

  3. Wrought iron and tubular metal fences shall be primed and painted.

• D. Any masonry wall shall be of a minimum 6-inch wide block construction.

• E. Vision Clearance Area. Any fence within a required vision clearance area adjacent to any driveway or alley where it intersects with a public street, as further defined under Section 19.436.030 , shall not be a view-obscuring fence. The design of such fence shall provide a minimum of 4 inches of spacing between the vertical and horizontal elements between the height of 2 feet and 7 feet.

• F. Fences within Required Yards Abutting a Street. Pursuant to the provisions of the Architectural Styles Guide, any fence within a required yard abutting a street shall comply with the following design criteria:

  1. In addition to the vision clearance requirements of subsection E of this section, fencing near any property line of an adjacent property shall be located or designed in such a manner as to maintain any potential vision clearance requirements, as determined by the Director.

  2. Landscaping with the use of shrubs, vines and trees shall be incorporated into the design of the fence, utilizing variations in fence setbacks from the street property line where possible.

  3. Common (cinder) block masonry shall not be permitted as a finished material for any fence within a required yard abutting a street.

• G. Perimeter Walls/Visual Interest. Perimeter walls shall incorporate various textures, staggered setbacks, and variations in height in conjunction with landscaping to provide visual interest and to soften the appearance of perimeter walls. Perimeter walls shall incorporate wall inserts and/or decorative columns or pilasters to provide relief. The maximum unbroken length of a perimeter wall shall be 25 feet.

  1. All non-transparent perimeter walls and/or fences shall be architecturally treated on both sides and shall incorporate landscaping whenever possible.

  2. Screen walls, sound walls, and retaining walls shall be used to mitigate noise generators and provide privacy for residents.

3. Wall design and selection of materials shall consider maintenance issues, especially graffiti removal and long-term maintenance. Decorative capstones on stucco walls are required to help prevent water damage from rainfall and moisture.

   4. Visually penetrable materials (e.g., wrought iron or tubular steel) shall be used in areas of high activity (i.e., pools, playgrounds) and areas adjacent to street frontage.

• H. Trash Collection and Storage Area Screening. Sight-obscuring screening shall be provided for all garbage and trash collection areas, approved outdoor storage, and parking lots abutting a single-family residential development. Such screening shall be 6 feet in height.

• (Ord. 1754, 6/24/2025)

In any RM Zone (including the RMH Zone), in connection with any development other than a residential use of not more than three dwelling units, a solid ornamental masonry shall be provided along all side and rear property lines which do not abut a street. Such fences shall be not less than six feet high and not more than seven feet high, unless a greater height is approved for noise attenuation or other mitigation of environmental effects. (Ord. 1754, 6/24/2025)

• A. Any parallel fences constructed with less than 3 feet separation shall be considered double fences. It is the intent of the City to discourage double fences whenever possible in order to avoid areas in which children and animals may become lodged, areas which may encourage rodent infestation, and areas which may accumulate litter and debris.

• B. In instances where double fences are unavoidable, the gap between the fences shall be completely sealed with flashing, cement cap, or other material in a manner acceptable to the Planning and Building Divisions.

• C. Where a new fence is required along a property line and an existing fence or wall is located on the opposite side of the property line, the Director of Community and Economic Development may suspend the requirement for the new fence provided that the existing fence can substantially satisfy all requirements of this Division and/or any conditions of an approval. Such

suspension shall become null and void once the adjacent wall or fence is removed or found unacceptable by the Director and the requirement for the new fence shall be complied with at such time.

• D. When fences are constructed to be 3 feet away from each other, the fence materials/height shall provide visibility into the corridor for maintenance and safety. The surface between the two (2) fences shall consist of concrete, or other hardscaping material which deters the growth of vegetation.

• (Ord. 1754, 6/24/2025)

• A. General Requirements.

  1. Definition. For the purpose of this section, security gates shall be defined as any gate, door, or other barrier that limits or restricts public access to or from a property. This definition does not include any barrier securing a pool area, an individual garage, private patio, yard, or living area, or such storage room, recreation rooms, or similar areas not intended for general public access.

  2. Proposed residential developments in the RM zones shall indicate during the site plan process prospective plans for future security gates and fencing installation.

  3. Security gates shall conform to all other provisions of this chapter, except where such provisions may conflict with the requirements of this section.

• B. Pedestrian Access. For any security gate that restricts pedestrian access to dwelling units of any multifamily residential development in the RM zones, an intercom, telephone, or remote access system shall be provided at the gate for each dwelling unit with restricted access.

• C. Vehicular Access. For any security gate that restricts vehicular access onto any multifamily residential development in the RM zones, the following requirements shall apply;

  1. All vehicular security gates shall be constructed of material that is not view-obscuring.

  2. All vehicular security gates shall be automatically operated by remote control devices or key pad. Furthermore, such vehicular gates shall not be permitted to swing out.

  3. Pedestrian Access. A separate pedestrian walkway leading from the public sidewalk into a development shall be provided for any development with a security gate across a vehicular access driveway.

  4. Gate Width. Vehicular entry gates shall open a minimum 20 feet to completely clear the minimum driveway width. Additional width may be required by the City for access or circulation purposes.

  5. Gate Setback.

     • a. For any development located on a street with a traffic count of 2,000 cars or fewer per day, a security gate across a vehicular driveway shall be set back from the street property line a minimum of 20 feet.

     • b. For any development located on a street with a traffic count of more than 2,000 cars per day, a security gate across a vehicular driveway shall be set back from the street property line a minimum of 40 feet.

  6. Vehicular Turnaround. A turnaround area outside of the gate shall be required for any development of 2 or more units which is located on a street with a traffic count of more than

2,000 cars per day or for any development of more than 20 dwelling units.

7. Trash Pickup. A means of entry, to be approved by the City-franchised trash disposal service, shall be provided which automatically opens the vehicular gate(s) for trash pickup. Furthermore, all 3 cubic yard trash bins shall remain within City-approved trash storage facilities for removal by the franchise service at the location of the trash storage area.

• D. Emergency Response Access. Prior to the issuance of any permits, fence plans with security gates shall be reviewed and approved by the Fire and Police Departments as to any required compliance with the following standards.

  1. To facilitate access by Fire Department personnel, a key switch box, or other approved device, shall be provided for all pedestrian and vehicular security gates.

  2. To facilitate access by City law enforcement officers, a key pad, or other approved device, shall be provided for all pedestrian and vehicular security gates. Furthermore, vehicular gates must provide egress for law enforcement vehicles.

• (Ord. 1754, 6/24/2025)