Westmorland — Landscaping and Screening

Last reviewed: July 6, 2026

Overview

Westmorland’s Zoning Ordinance sets citywide rules for fences, walls, and hedges, and adds targeted landscaping and screening where sensitive edges occur (for example, industrial-to-residential interfaces and the RV Park Overlay). The most robust planting and screening mandates apply to recreational vehicle parks and mobile home parks; most base zones otherwise defer to the general fencing standards. Use this page alongside the broader Westmorland Zoning, Development Standards, and Overlay Districts pages to confirm how these rules stack on a given parcel.

Big picture: front and street-side yard fences/hedges are capped at 4 ft citywide, side/rear fences/hedges can reach 6 ft, and any industrial property that shares a side/rear boundary with residential must build a minimum 6 ft solid masonry wall on that line under § 4.07 .

Citywide landscaping and screening rules (apply in all zones unless a district/overlay sets a stricter standard)

• Front or street-side yard fence/wall/hedge: maximum 4 ft in height per § 4.07 .
• Side and rear lot-line fence/wall/hedge: maximum 6 ft, provided the fence does not extend into a required front yard per § 4.07 .
• Industrial-to-residential boundary: a solid masonry wall not less than 6 ft high must be erected along any common side or rear boundary per § 4.07 .
• Minor deviation for a 6 ft fence along a street: may be allowed by Planning Commission with findings (health/safety; visibility clear) per § 4.07(a) .
• Many zone chapters point you back to these standards (e.g., R-1, R-2, C, I) via cross-references to § 4.07 .

Separately, confirm parking layout and loading areas because they can trigger additional setbacks/buffers at residential edges (e.g., off-street loading must be at least 50 ft from any lot in a residential zone under § 4.06) .

District-by-district guidance

R-1 Single Family (Section 3.01)

• Purpose and typical uses: single-family homes, with conditional second units under legacy provisions; typical neighborhood-scale civic uses by permit per § 3.01(b)-(c) .
• Key dimensional context: 20 ft front yard, 5 ft side yard (8 ft street-side corner), 20 ft rear; max height 35 ft; see cross-reference to fences/walls/hedges in § 3.01(d)(x) → § 4.07 .
• Landscaping/screening rules in this zone: No specific planting minimums or tree counts were found; citywide fencing rules apply via § 4.07. Not found in retrieved materials beyond the § 4.07 fencing standards.

Where it applies: parcels mapped R-1 on the city zoning map; verify parcel zoning on the Westmorland Land Use page.

R-2 Low/Medium Density Multi-Family (Section 3.02)

• Purpose and typical uses: duplexes/triplexes; some larger multifamily as conditional uses per § 3.02(a)-(c) .
• Key dimensional context: 20 ft front, 5 ft side (8 ft street-side corner), 20 ft rear; height 35 ft; references to § 4.07 for fences/walls/hedges per § 3.02(d)(xi) .
• Landscaping/screening: No dedicated landscaping ratios/planting lists in the retrieved text; rely on citywide § 4.07 controls. Not found in retrieved materials beyond § 4.07.

Where it applies: R-2 mapped areas; confirm on Westmorland Zoning.

R-4 High Density Multi-Family (Section 3.03)

• Purpose and typical uses: higher-density multifamily; mobile home parks allowed subject to § 4.10 per § 3.03(b)(ii) .
• Key dimensional context: Not found in retrieved materials.
• Landscaping/screening: No general R-4-wide landscaping minima found. However, where the R-4 use is a mobile home park, see Mobile Home Park Development Standards in § 4.10, which mandate perimeter fencing and screen landscaping (details below) .

Where it applies: R-4 mapped areas; verify on the Westmorland Development Standards page and with staff as needed.

• Special: Mobile Home Parks (Article IV standard). Each mobile home park must be entirely enclosed at its exterior boundaries by a fence or wall 6 ft high plus screen landscaping at least 6 ft high; 4 ft minimum along any public street segment, with fence/wall type set by the Planning Commission at plot plan/CUP review, per § 4.10(xxii)1–2 (also see § 4.07 cross-reference) . Recreational vehicle storage yards (if provided within a mobile home park) must be enclosed by a 6 ft fence and landscaped to shield the interior on all sides per § 4.10(xviii)2 .

C Commercial (Section 3.05)

• Purpose and typical uses: general retail/service, office/clinic, hotels/motels, parking and transportation terminals; more intensive auto-oriented uses by CUP per § 3.05(a)-(c) .
• Key dimensional context and edge buffers:
  • Front yard: 10 ft; side yard: none generally, but 10 ft street-side corner; minimum 15 ft on a side adjoining any “R” zone; rear yard: no minimum generally, but at least 10 ft where abutting/across a rear street from an “R” zone, or as required by the Planning Commission, per § 3.05(d)(iv–vi) .
  • Cross-reference to citywide fencing: § 3.05(d)(xi) → § 4.07 .
• Landscaping/screening: No zone-wide planting minimums listed; edge yard increases function as spatial buffers to residences. Not found in retrieved materials beyond yard buffers and § 4.07 fencing reference.

Where it applies: C-mapped corridors and nodes; confirm on Westmorland Land Use.

I Industrial (Section 3.06)

• Purpose and typical uses: warehousing, wholesale, manufacturing/processing, and trucking-related uses, subject to performance standards; larger assemblies and petroleum storage by CUP per § 3.06(a)-(c) .
• Key dimensional context and edge buffers:
  • Front yard: 15 ft; side yard: at least 10 ft street-side corner and 15 ft where adjoining any “R” zone; rear yard: 25 ft when abutting or across a rear street from any “R” zone per § 3.06(d)(ii–iv) .
  • Mandatory screening at residential edges: a solid masonry wall minimum 6 ft along any common side or rear boundary with a residential zone per § 4.07 (applies specifically to improved industrial property) .
• Landscaping/screening: The code emphasizes physical walls and spatial buffers rather than planting counts. Not found in retrieved materials for planting ratios; apply § 4.07.

Where it applies: I-mapped parcels; verify on Westmorland Zoning.

OS Open Space (Section 3.07)

• Purpose and typical uses: natural resource preservation, managed production, open space recreation, hazard management per § 3.07(a)-(c) .
• Landscaping/screening: No special OS landscaping mandates were retrieved; default § 4.07 fence/hedge height limits apply. Not found in retrieved materials beyond § 4.07 reference.

Where it applies: OS-mapped lands; confirm on Westmorland Land Use.

RV Park (RV) Overlay (Section 3.04)

• Purpose and uses: allows recreational vehicle parks and necessary accessory uses by CUP; overlay applies “in addition to” the underlying zone, and the more stringent rule controls per § 3.04(c) and overlay applicability note .
• Property development standards with landscaping/screening:
  • If an RV park adjoins any “R” zone: provide a minimum 20 ft landscaped area along the side and rear that adjoin the residential zone per § 3.04(d)(vi–vii) .
  • All required yards shall be landscaped per § 3.04(d)(xi) .
  • Trash containers must be enclosed with a 6 ft masonry fence and placed within 300 ft of every RV site per § 3.04(d)(2)(d) .
  • Cross-reference to citywide fencing/signage: § 3.04(d)(xiv–xv) → § 4.07 and § 4.08 .
• Where it applies: Wherever the -RV overlay is mapped atop a base zone; confirm on Westmorland Overlay Districts.

Most-used landscaping and screening rules at a glance

Notes:

• Commercial and industrial zones also add yard/setback buffers where near residential (e.g., commercial: 15 ft side on a side adjoining any “R” zone; industrial: 15 ft side and 25 ft rear buffer when across a rear street from “R”), functioning as “soft” screening even where no planting minimum is listed per § 3.05(d) and § 3.06(d) .
• Minor deviations or more tailored solutions can be evaluated through Design Review and, if needed, Variances and Exceptions, but variances cannot authorize a use not otherwise permitted.

Checklist

• Map-check your parcel’s base zone and any overlays on the city map and on Westmorland Zoning.
• Confirm which citywide fence/wall/hedge height limits from § 4.07 apply to your frontage and lot lines .
• If your project is in the RV Overlay, show landscaped yards and 20 ft landscaped edge where adjoining “R” zones; detail trash enclosures as 6 ft masonry per § 3.04(d) .
• If proposing a mobile home park, include the 6 ft perimeter fence/wall plus 6 ft screen landscaping and any screened storage yard per § 4.10(xviii) and § 4.10(xxii) .
• For industrial parcels next to housing, design and site a minimum 6 ft solid masonry wall along the shared boundary per § 4.07 .
• Check any residential adjacency buffers in the C and I standards; draw those yard/setback areas on your plan per § 3.05(d) and § 3.06(d) .
• Coordinate parking and loading layout so you don’t encroach into forbidden areas near residential zones (e.g., loading ≥50 ft from any residential lot) per § 4.06 and Parking .
• If you need a 6 ft fence along a street for noise/security, prepare findings for a minor deviation per § 4.07(a) and bring it through Design Review .

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

In most Westmorland neighborhoods, you can landscape as you wish, but front/street-side fences/hedges are limited to 4 ft and side/rear to 6 ft. If you run an industrial site next to homes, you must build a solid 6 ft masonry wall on that shared line. RV parks must landscape all required yards, add a 20 ft landscaped buffer next to homes, and screen trash with 6 ft masonry. Mobile home parks must be ringed by a 6 ft fence/wall plus 6 ft screen landscaping. When in doubt, bring your fence/screening details to Design Review for confirmation.

Source References

• § 4.07 Fences, Walls, and Hedges (citywide fence/hedge heights; 6 ft wall at I/R edges; minor deviation process)
• § 3.05(d) Commercial standards (yards; buffers near residential; cross-ref to § 4.07)
• § 3.06(d) Industrial standards (yards; 25 ft rear near residential; cross-ref)
• § 3.04 RV Park (-RV) Overlay (landscaped yards; 20 ft landscaped edge; trash masonry enclosures; cross-refs)
• § 4.10 Mobile Home Park Development Standards (perimeter fence/wall + 6 ft screen landscaping; storage yard screened)
• § 4.06 Off-Street Loading (≥50 ft from any residential lot)
• Base zone cross-references to § 4.07: R-1 § 3.01(d)(x), R-2 § 3.02(d)(xi)

Retrieved passages

• CBC § 4.5 (Section 4.5) High relevance show source text
• Westmorland Zoning Code (Section 4.5) Medium relevance show source text
• CWUIC § 65850.6 (Title 24) Medium relevance show source text
• Westmorland Zoning Code (Section 3.01) Medium relevance show source text
• Westmorland Zoning Code (Section 5.02) Medium relevance show source text
• Westmorland Zoning Code (SECTION 4.01) Medium relevance show source text
• Westmorland Zoning Code (SECTION 5.03) Medium relevance show source text
• Westmorland Zoning Code (ARTICLE I.) Medium relevance show source text
• Westmorland Zoning Code (Chapter 5) Medium relevance show source text
• CBC § 4.7 (Section 4.7) Medium relevance show source text
• CBC § 5.02 (Section 5.02) Medium relevance show source text
• Westmorland Zoning Code (Chapter 5) Medium relevance show source text
• Westmorland Zoning Code (Section 4.5) Medium relevance show source text
• Westmorland Zoning Code Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• § 4.07 Fences, Walls, and Hedges (citywide fence/hedge heights; 6 ft wall at I/R edges; minor deviation process) (§ 4.07)
• § 3.05(d) Commercial standards (yards; buffers near residential; cross-ref to § 4.07) (§ 3.05)
• § 3.06(d) Industrial standards (yards; 25 ft rear near residential; cross-ref) (§ 3.06)
• § 3.04 RV Park (-RV) Overlay (landscaped yards; 20 ft landscaped edge; trash masonry enclosures; cross-refs) (§ 3.04)
• § 4.10 Mobile Home Park Development Standards (perimeter fence/wall + 6 ft screen landscaping; storage yard screened) (§ 4.10)
• § 4.06 Off-Street Loading (≥50 ft from any residential lot) (§ 4.06)
• Base zone cross-references to § 4.07: R-1 § 3.01(d)(x), R-2 § 3.02(d)(xi) (§ 4.07)
• Westmorland_ZoningCode.md