§ 68.503. Residential Landscaping.

(a)

Starter Landscaping. To improve the appearance from the street, new residential development shall include a minimum starter package for landscaping. At a minimum, these starter packages should include: turf grass, shrubbery, at least one street tree, a front yard tree, and an efficient irrigation system necessary to sustain the vegetation.

(b)

Fencing Standards. Two types of fences are allowed within residential areas: "picket" fences and "privacy" fences.

1.

Front Yard.

a.

Picket fences shall be not more than 3 foot 6 inches in height. Picket fences shall not be solid and shall not be more than 50% opaque above 30 inches in height.

b.

A possible alternative to a picket fence is a hedge which shall be maintained at a maximum height of not more than 3 foot 6 inches. A trellis, gate, or arbor shall be exempt from the maximum height when located where the walk (from the public sidewalk to the porch) passes through the fence or hedge.

c.

Picket fences or hedges may be located at the back of sidewalks along the front or street side yard of a lot. They may also be located along the alley to give privacy to an ancillary unit yard, with a minimum setback of 10 feet from the rear property line.

2.

Rear and Side Yard.

a.

Privacy fences shall be not more than 6 feet in height and may be located along interior lot lines to within 5 feet of the front facade of the principle building. Fences in the street side yard shall be subject to the requirements of front yard fencing.

3.

All fencing shall be built out of attractive, long-lasting materials, such as wood, PVC, masonry, stone, wrought iron, aluminum, vinyl, or vinyl-coated wire.

4.

Fences visible from public streets should be constructed of durable material and be detailed to include a distinctive cap/coping: columns of pilasters can also be used to provide details. Chainlink, whether vinyl coated or galvanized, is prohibited for fences or walls that are visible from public streets.

5.

With masonry fences, the use of exposed or unfinished/unpainted concrete block is prohibited. For wood fences, the unfinished side shall not be visible from public streets.

6.

Screening of loading areas, refuse areas, transformers, heating units and other ground-mounted equipment shall be consistent with the Land Development Code.

7.

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) shall be considered. Landscaping should not create blind spots or hiding spots, particularly between the driveway or street sidewalk and the primary entrance of a residential structure. Properly maintained landscaping should provide maximum viewing to and from the house. The street address should be clearly visible from the street with numbers a minimum of 5 inches high that made of non-reflective material that provides significant contrast to the affixed background.

(Ord. of 5-10-1999, § 10, Doc. #32070)