Taft — Landscaping and Screening

Last reviewed: July 2, 2026

Overview

This page summarizes what the City of Taft's Planning and Zoning ordinance requires for landscaping, screening, buffers, fences/walls, and trees. It is grounded in the local zoning code (Title VI Planning & Zoning) and points you to the controlling sections for each rule. Use this as a practical reference for preparing site plans and applications — but verify parcel‑specific questions with the city.

What the code requires (by topic and district)

• Basic policy: Taft's objective design and site standards require developments to provide transitions and buffering through landscaping, hedges, walls, fences, berms or landscaped open space, and to avoid uninterrupted walls unless needed for screening, safety or sound attenuation (§ 6-5-5) .

• Screening minimums: Where commercial or industrial uses abut residential zones, the city requires screening along the property line — typically a decorative masonry wall sufficient for sound attenuation and a minimum height of six feet (6') on the commercial/industrial side (reduced to forty inches (40") in front/street-side yard areas) (§ 6-11-30(A)) .

• Outdoor storage and refuse: Outdoor storage areas must be screened on at least three sides by a solid opaque impact‑resistant wall not less than five feet (5') and the fourth side by an opaque gate; trash areas must be screened by a decorative wall not less than five feet (5') with an opaque gate (§ 6-11-30(B–C)) .

• Residential subdivision landscaping: Subdividers must install landscaping and an irrigation system on the front yard and street-side yard before final inspection. Minimum items include at least one 15‑gallon tree, 10% of the yard as a landscaped planter, and the remainder (except driveway) improved with sod plus an irrigation clock and valves; alternatives require Planning Director approval (§ 6-5-5(9)) .

• Required drought‑tolerant plantings and irrigation for residential developments: All required front, side and rear yards must be landscaped with drought‑resistant trees, shrubs and ground cover, and provided with a permanently maintained irrigation system (§ 6-4-4(B)) .

• Fence and wall heights and materials:

  • General rule: In side and rear yards a wall or fence up to six feet (6') is allowed; fences/walls in required front setback areas generally may not exceed forty inches (40"); nonresidential front setback fences may reach five feet (5') only if the portion above 40" is at least 90% open (wrought iron or similar) (§ 6-11-31) .
  • Prohibited materials include scrap metal/wood, chicken wire, corrugated metal/plastic and other non‑durable materials (§ 6-11-31(B) and related) .
  • The code explicitly advises avoiding uninterrupted walls and requires that necessary walls relate to the site and incorporate landscaping or material changes (color/texture) to reduce graffiti and glare (§ 6-5-5(g)) .

• Site-level screening and aesthetic treatment: New developments must screen mechanical equipment, garages, maintenance areas, and utilities with landscape materials, berms, or garden walls so they are not exposed to view from the street or residences (§ 6-5-5(i)(3)) .

• Variances and conditions: The Planning Director or Planning Commission may grant variances or impose conditions that address walls, fences, screening and landscaping as part of conditional use permits, variances, or temporary land use permits (§ 6-2-6; § 6-2-7; conditional use permit powers) .

• Natural resource, scenic, and industrial overlays: Special districts have additional rules — e.g., the Natural Resource district requires screening walls where nonresidential uses abut residential (max 6', 40" in front setback) and cross‑references section 6-11-9 for wall/fence compliance (§ 6-8-4(C)) ; scenic/resource rules require screening parking and storage from scenic corridors (§ 6-11-29) .

Practical links you will want when preparing materials: mention of parking and parking‑area screening appears in the screening and scenic rules — include parking plans with screening shown (/us/california/taft/parking). Provide setback and development standard details with your site plan (/us/california/taft/development-standards) and expect that design review or discretionary approvals may require landscape and screening details (/us/california/taft/design-review). If you’re in a special overlay check the overlay districts guidance (/us/california/taft/overlay-districts). ADU proposals should be checked against the local ADU rules and the state code (/us/california/taft/adu and /us/california/building-codes).

District-level breakdown (Taft code citations and how landscaping/screening applies)

Note: below, each district name and numeric standards are shown in bold and tied to the Taft ordinance excerpts.

R‑1 (Single‑Family Residential)

• Purpose & where it applies: typical single‑family neighborhoods; the code references R-1 whenever defining buffering between multi‑family and single‑family (masonry walls required where multi‑family abuts R‑1) (§ 6‑4‑4(F); masonry wall requirement described in development standards) .
• Key screening/landscape rules: front/street‑side yards in subdivisions must be landscaped with drought‑resistant plantings and permanent irrigation (§ 6‑4‑4(B)) and subdivision lots must meet the subdivision landscape elements (one 15‑gallon tree, 10% planter, sod/irrigation) (§ 6‑5‑5(9)) .
• Fence heights: front/setback fences generally limited to 40"; side/rear up to 6' (§ 6‑11‑31) .

RS (Residential Single‑Family or Restricted Single‑Family)

• Purpose & where it applies: referenced in the code as an adjacent single‑family zoning type; the same landscaping and separation expectations as R‑1 apply (buffers/walls required where multi‑family abuts RS) (§ 6‑4‑4(F)) .
• Masonry wall requirement: where multiple‑family dwellings abut an RS zone, the code requires a 6' masonry wall between the properties (masonry wall between districts) .

Multiple‑Family / RM (Multi‑Family residential developments and apartments)

• Purpose: higher‑density residential; treated as a use category for screening requirements.
• Key standards: residential developments (multi‑family) must provide landscaping on front/side/rear yards with drought‑resistant plantings and permanent irrigation; private open space and pedestrian circulation standards also apply (§ 6‑4‑4(B–F)) .
• Walls required: when abutting RS or R‑1, a 6' masonry wall is required along the property line (§ 6‑4‑4(F); masonry wall rule) .

Commercial zones / Mixed‑use

• Purpose: retail, services and (where allowed) residential conversions.
• Screening rule: when commercial or industrial uses abut residentially zoned parcels, screening (typically a 6' masonry wall on the non‑residential side) is mandatory; front/street side yards reduce to 40" (§ 6‑11‑30(A)) .
• Refuse and storage: all outdoor storage and trash areas must be screened (5' walls) (§ 6‑11‑30(B–C)) .
• Fences in commercial front setback: can exceed 40" to 5' if upper portion is ≥90% open (§ 6‑11‑31(B)) .

Industrial / Manufacturing (Industrial Zone District)

• Purpose & where: defined under "CHAPTER 6 INDUSTRIAL ZONE DISTRICT" — industrial lands have similar screening obligations and may permit different fencing (barbed wire allowed in some industrial districts subject to limits) (§ 6‑6‑1; § 6‑11‑31(B)) .
• Screening & storage: outdoor storage must be screened; sound attenuation walls may be required as a condition of approval (§ 6‑11‑30; § 6‑11‑31) .

Natural Resource Zone

• Purpose: protect natural resource operations and buffer adjacent uses.
• Fences/walls: where non‑residential uses abut residential uses, screening walls may be required (max 6', 40" in the front), and fences/walls must comply with § 6‑11‑9 (§ 6‑8‑4(C)) .

Quick reference table — decision‑relevant standards

Checklist

• Prepare a scaled landscape plan showing planting areas, species, planting sizes and irrigation (note residential subdivision minimums: 1 × 15‑gal tree, 10% planter) — see § 6‑5‑5(9) .
• Provide an irrigation plan (clock/timers and valves where subdivision rules apply) — § 6‑5‑5(9) and § 6‑4‑4(B) .
• Show screening walls/gates for commercial/industrial interfaces and outdoor storage/trash areas (5' or 6' walls as required) — § 6‑11‑30(B–C), § 6‑11‑30(A) .
• Dimension fence/wall heights relative to property lines and front setbacks; show sections to confirm 40" front rule and 6' side/rear limit — § 6‑11‑31 .
• If proposing uninterrupted walls or atypical materials, provide justification and landscape integration (planning director review) — § 6‑5‑5(g) .
• If landscaping or wall heights deviate from the standard, prepare a variance or conditional‑use submittal per § 6‑2‑6 — § 6‑2‑6 .
• If your site is near a scenic corridor, show visual screening for parking and storage on plans — § 6‑11‑29 .
• Coordinate trash enclosure screening with screening rules for multi‑family and commercial developments — § 6‑11‑30(C) .
• Confirm parking lot screening and circulation treatments as part of the parking submission (/us/california/taft/parking) and site setbacks (/us/california/taft/development-standards).

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain‑English summary

Taft requires new developments to use landscaping and screening to protect neighbors and scenic areas: expect front yards to be planted and irrigated, trash and outdoor storage to be walled and gated, and fences in front setbacks to be short (about 40") while side/rear fences can be up to 6'; where commercial or industrial meets residential, plan for a 6' masonry screen unless otherwise approved (§ 6‑4‑4; § 6‑5‑5; § 6‑11‑30; § 6‑11‑31) .

Source References

• § 6‑5‑5 Objective design standards (landscape elements, avoiding uninterrupted walls) .
• § 6‑5‑5(9) Landscape elements — residential subdivision tree/planter/irrigation minimums .
• § 6‑4‑4 Site development standards — residential landscaping and fences/walls (permanent irrigation, drought‑resistant plantings, perimeter wall rules) .
• § 6‑11‑30 Screening requirements — commercial/industrial adjacency, storage and refuse screening (5' and 6' rules) .
• § 6‑11‑31 (and related fence/wall content) — fence heights, prohibited materials, nonresidential exceptions .
• § 6‑2‑6 Variance authority and scope (variances may address walls/fences/screening/landscaping) .
• § 6‑8‑4 Natural Resource site standards (fences/walls requirement) .
• § 6‑11‑29 Scenic resources — screening parking and storage from scenic corridors (§ referenced for scenic screening) .
• Taft municipal code excerpts and compiled zoning code (source file for the excerpts above) .

Retrieved passages

• Taft Zoning Code High relevance show source text
• Taft Zoning Code (section to) High relevance show source text
• Taft Zoning Code High relevance show source text
• CGBSC § A5.303.3 (Section A5.303.3) High relevance show source text
• Taft Zoning Code (title shall) High relevance show source text
• Taft Zoning Code (title and) High relevance show source text
• Taft Zoning Code High relevance show source text
• Taft Zoning Code High relevance show source text

Cited sections

• § 6‑5‑5 Objective design standards (landscape elements, avoiding uninterrupted walls) . (§ 6)
• § 6‑5‑5(9) Landscape elements — residential subdivision tree/planter/irrigation minimums . (§ 6)
• § 6‑4‑4 Site development standards — residential landscaping and fences/walls (permanent irrigation, drought‑resistant plantings, perimeter wall rules) . (§ 6)
• § 6‑11‑30 Screening requirements — commercial/industrial adjacency, storage and refuse screening (5' and 6' rules) . (§ 6)
• § 6‑11‑31 (and related fence/wall content) — fence heights, prohibited materials, nonresidential exceptions . (§ 6)
• § 6‑2‑6 Variance authority and scope (variances may address walls/fences/screening/landscaping) . (§ 6)
• § 6‑8‑4 Natural Resource site standards (fences/walls requirement) . (§ 6)
• § 6‑11‑29 Scenic resources — screening parking and storage from scenic corridors (§ referenced for scenic screening) . (§ 6)
• Taft municipal code excerpts and compiled zoning code (source file for the excerpts above) .
• Taft_ZoningCode.md
• 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code.md

• Official Taft code library