4.602 Screening Regulations

SEC. 51A-4.602. FENCE, SCREENING AND VISUAL OBSTRUCTION REGULATIONS. (zoning regulations)

(a) Fence standards. Unless otherwise specifically provided for in this chapter, fences must be constructed and maintained in accordance with the following regulations.

(1) A person shall not erect or maintain a fence in a required yard more than nine feet above grade. In all residential districts except multifamily districts, a fence may not exceed four feet above grade when located in the required front yard, except when the required front yard is governed by the side or rear yard regulations pursuant to Section 51A-4.401.

(2) In multifamily districts, a fence located in the required front yard may be built to a maximum height of six feet above grade if all conditions in the following subparagraphs are met:

(A) No lot in the blockface may be zoned as a single family or duplex district.

(B) No gates for vehicular traffic may be located less than 20 feet from the back of the street curb.

(C) No fence panel having less than 50 percent open surface area may be located less than five feet from the front lot line. For purposes of this subsection, fence panels are the portions of the fence located between the posts or columns.

(3) If a fence panel setback is required under Paragraph (2)(C), the entire setback area, except for driveways and sidewalks, must be located within 100 feet of a verifiable water supply and landscaped with living evergreen shrubs or vines recommended for local use by the park and recreation director. Initial plantings must be calculated to cover a minimum of 30 percent of the fence panel(s) within three years after planting. Shrubs or vines must be planted 24 inches on center over the entire length of the setback area unless a landscape architect recommends otherwise.

(4) Unless all of the conditions in Paragraphs (2) and (3) are met, a fence in a multifamily district may not exceed four feet above grade when located in the required front yard, except when the required front yard is governed by the side or rear yard regulations pursuant to Section 51A-4.401.

(5) Fence heights shall be measured from:

(A) In single family and duplex districts:

(i) the top of the fence to the level of the ground on the inside and outside of any fence within the required front yard. The fence height shall be the greater of these two measurements. If the fence is constructed on fill material that alters grade, as determined by the building official, the height of the artificially altered grade shall be included in the height of the fence. For purposes of this provision, artificially altered grade means the placement of fill material on property that exceeds a slope of one foot of height for three feet of distance; and

(ii) the top of the fence to the level of the ground on the inside of the fence in the required side or rear yard.

(B) In all other zoning districts, fence heights shall be measured from the top of the fence to the level of the ground on the inside of the fence.

(6) The board may grant a special exception to the fence standards in this subsection when, in the opinion of the board, the special exception will not adversely affect neighboring property.

(7) A fence may not be located within an easement without the prior written approval by the agencies having interest in the easement.

(8) A person shall not use barbed wire for fencing unless:

(A) the barbed wire is six feet or more above grade; and

(B) the barbed wire does not project beyond the property line.

(9) All fences must provide firefighting access to the side and rear yard.

(b) Required screening. Unless otherwise specifically provided for in this chapter, screening must be constructed and maintained in accordance with the following regulations.

(1) Screening required in this article must be not less than six feet in height.

(2) The board may grant a special exception to the height requirement for screening when, in the opinion of the board, the special exception will not adversely affect neighboring property, except that the board may not grant a special exception to the height requirements for screening around off-street parking.

(3) Required screening must be constructed of:

(A) brick, stone, or concrete masonry, stucco, concrete, or wood;

(B) earthen berm planted with turf grass or ground cover recommended for local area use by the director of parks and recreation. The berm may not have a slope that exceeds one foot of height for each two feet of width;

(C) evergreen plant materials recommended for local area use by the director of parks and recreation. The plant materials must be located in a bed that is at least three feet wide with a minimum soil depth of 24 inches. Initial plantings must be capable of obtaining a solid appearance within three years. Plant materials must be placed a maximum of 24 inches on center over the entire length of the bed unless the building official approves an alternative planting density that a landscape authority certifies as being capable of providing a solid appearance within three years; or

(D) any combination of the above.

(4) A required screening wall or fence may not have more than 10 square inches of openings in any given square foot of surface. Plant materials used for required screening must obtain a solid appearance and provide a visual barrier of the required height within three years of their initial planting.

(5) Access through required screening may be provided only by a solid gate equaling the height of the screening. The gate must remain closed:

(A) between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.; and

(B) at all other times except when in actual use.

(6) Garbage storage areas must be visually screened on all sides by a brick, stone, or concrete masonry, stucco, concrete, or wood wall or fence. Screening is not required on a side adjacent to an alley or easement used for garbage pick-up service.

(7) An owner shall provide screening in accordance with this section for the rear or service side of a nonresidential building if:

(A) the nonresidential building is in a residential district and is exposed to a residential use; or

(B) the nonresidential building is in an office, retail, CS, IL, IR, or IM district and is exposed to and closer than 150 feet to the boundary line of an A, A(A), R, R(A), D D(A), TH, TH(A), CH, MF, MF(A), MH, or MH(A) district.

(8) When all service, storage, and loading facilities are contained within a nonresidential building, the screening requirement in Subsection (b)(7) does not apply.

(9) Plant materials used for required screening must be maintained in a healthy growing condition at all times. The property owner is responsible for the regular weeding, mowing of grass, irrigating, fertilizing, pruning, and other maintenance of all plantings as needed. Any plant that dies must be replaced with another living plant that complies with screening requirements within 90 days after notification by the city.

(10) All required screening with plant materials must be irrigated by an automatic irrigation system installed to comply with industry standards.

(c) Special screening and visual intrusion provisions.

(1) In an office district, if a building or a parking structure is erected on a building site and a portion of the side or rear yard abuts or is across an adjoining alley from an A, A(A), R, R(A), D, D(A), TH, TH(A), CH, MF, MF(A), MH, or MH(A) district, any portion of the building site directly across from that district must be screened from that district.

(2) through (5) Reserved.

(6) In all nonresidential districts except central area districts, no portion of any balcony or opening that faces an R, R(A), D, D(A), TH, TH(A), CH, MF-1, MF-1(A), MF-1(SAH), MF-2, MF-2(A), or MF-2(SAH) district may be located above a residential proximity slope originating in that district.

(d) Visual obstruction regulations.

(1) A person shall not erect, place, or maintain a structure, berm, plant life, or any other item on a lot if the item is:

(A) in a visibility triangle, as defined in Paragraph (2); and

(B) between two and one-half feet and eight feet in height measured from the top of the adjacent street curb. If there is no adjacent street curb, the measurement is taken from the grade of the portion of the street adjacent to the visibility triangle.

(2) For purposes of Paragraph (1), the term "visibility triangle" means:

(A) in all zoning districts except central area districts, the Deep Ellum/Near Eastside District (Planned Development District No. 269), and the State-Thomas Special Purpose District (Planned Development District No. 225), the portion of a corner lot within a triangular area formed by connecting together the point of intersection of adjacent street curb lines (or, if there are no street curbs, what would be the normal street curb lines) and points on each of the street curb lines 45 feet from the intersection;

(B) in central area districts, the Deep Ellum/Near Eastside District (Planned Development District No. 269), and the State-Thomas Special Purpose District (Planned Development District No. 225), the portion of a corner lot within a triangular area formed by connecting together the point of intersection of adjacent street curb lines (or, if there are no street curbs, what would be the normal street curb lines) and points on each of the street curb lines 30 feet from the intersection; and

(C) in all zoning districts, the portion of a lot within a triangular area formed by connecting together the point of intersection of the edge of a driveway or alley and an adjacent street curb line (or, if there is no street curb, what would be the normal street curb line) and points on the driveway or alley edge and the street curb line 20 feet from the intersection.

(3) The board shall grant a special exception to the requirements of this section when, in the opinion of the board, the item will not constitute a traffic hazard. (Ord. Nos. 19455; 19786; 20236; 20362; 20539; 21663; 22994)