All required screening devices must be equally finished on both sides.

All openings on the surface for passage shall be equipped with gates equal in height and screening characteristics specified below, but need not be of the same material as the main fence or wall.

Where a screening device is constructed, placed or planted on uneven terrain, there shall be no gap under the device, and the device must be composed of the same material throughout.

No screening device comprised of brick, masonry, concrete, or solid metal shall be erected or placed that would interfere with the installation or maintenance of any public utility line, service, or drainage way within a dedicated easement unless approved by the City Engineer.

No screening device shall conflict with the sight visibility requirements of Section 9.02.151.

Any required screening device provided by a more intensive use abutting a residential use or district shall be permanently and adequately maintained by the more intensive use's property owner.

If there is an existing screening device or fence along a residential property line and a nonresidential use is proposed, the required screening device shall be a living plant screen that complies with the requirements established in Section 9.02.151 and is deemed acceptable by the Director. However, this requirement may be exempted if a 5-foot minimum space between two screening devices and fences is provided for maintenance access. The intent of these requirements is to eliminate screening situations where two screening walls or fences abut each other.

Before issuing an occupancy permit, all approved screening devices must be in place.

All screening devices shall be permanently and continually maintained in a neat and orderly manner as a condition of use. The occupancy permit may be revoked by the Director for failure to adequately maintain such screening device.

An approved screening device already exists along the property line.

The portion of the subject property to be screened contains a wooded area that shall be maintained for the life of the project and a tree survey indicates that a majority of the trees in the wooded area on the subject property are found to be "quality trees," as defined in the checklist at the Development Services Department; or

The portion of the subject property to be screened is adjacent to a floodplain containing existing trees that provide natural screening.

All existing and operating businesses within the City of Blue Ridge will be exempt from this ordinance effective upon publication of said ordinance provided trash or remnants of trash are kept in compliance with the City's Code section 7.02.001 regarding trash and debris. On fourth code violation, the business will be required to install an enclosure regardless of any hardship, and business will be required to accommodate the refuse company in contract through the City.

The minimum and maximum screening device height follow the requirements established in Table: Required Screening Height.

Materials. The materials shall consist of one or more of the following unless specified elsewhere in this Zoning Ordinance (See Figure: Allowed Screening Devices):

All allowed open storage of materials, equipment, or commodities shall be screened from view from all streets and any residential properties. Materials, equipment, or commodities shall be stacked no higher than one foot below the top of the screening device or visual barrier.

Garbage, trash, or refuse containers shall meet the requirements established in section 7.02.001.

All wrecking yards, junkyards, or salvage yards shall be fenced on all sides and shall be screened from view from the public right-of-way and from adjacent residential property.

Display of new vehicles, or used vehicles not defined as junked vehicles under the ordinances of the City or laws of the State of Texas, need not be screened if they are, in the opinion of the chief building official, maintained in a neat and orderly manner.

Ground mechanical and heating and air conditioning equipment in nonresidential and multi-family uses shall be screened from view from the public right-of-way and from adjacent residential property.

Roof-mounted mechanical units shall be screened from view at a point of 5.5 feet above the property line with a parapet wall, mansard roof, or alternative architectural element. The height of the screening element shall be equal to or greater than the height of the mechanical unit provided that the element shall not extend more than 5 feet above the roof on a one or two story building or more than 13 feet above the roof on a building of 3 or more stories. A mechanical unit that is taller than the maximum permitted height of the screening feature shall be set back from the screen 5 feet plus 2 feet for each foot exceeding the height of the screen. Screening for mechanical units shall apply to new building construction only.

At automotive uses, vehicles awaiting repair for more than 24 hours or after the close of business shall be screened from view from public right-of-way and from adjacent residential property.

A screening device meeting the standards established in Table: Required Screening Height shall be constructed on nonresidential property adjacent to the common side or rear property line.

Nonresidential uses in a residential district shall be screened from view of any adjacent residential lot or dwelling use along the side and rear property lines of that nonresidential use. These screening requirements are not required for public schools, parks, or religious land uses, except where a parking lot or active outdoor intensive-use area (such as a playground) is adjacent to a residential lot or dwelling.

Off-street loading areas of any nonresidential use shall be screened from view of any residential dwelling or lot or of any other adjacent public land use.

Where a multi-family use abuts a single-family or two-family use or district, the side and rear property lines of that multi-family use shall be screened from view of adjacent dwelling(s).

No screening device or fence shall be erected, placed, or planted beyond the front building line of any permitted building in a residential district, either on a corner lot or interior lot, unless otherwise allowed by the Board of Adjustment through a variance request.

Where a nonresidential use abuts a residential lot, use, or district, the side and rear property lines abutting that residential lot, use, or district shall be suitably screened by the nonresidential use so as to obscure the view from the residential lot, use, or district to the nonresidential use to a height not less than six feet.

Where a district boundary separating a residential district from a nonresidential district is along a street or alley, and an automobile parking lot or parking area is located in the front yard of the nonresidential use, then said parking lot or parking area facing the residential lot, use, or district shall be suitably screened to a height of not less than three and one-half feet.

Solid fences shall not be allowed in the required front yard in any district, except for the Mixed Density Residential (MD) and Multi-Family Residential (MF) districts. In these instances, a 20-foot minimum setback shall be required for fencing along the right-of-way frontage.

No fence shall exceed three feet in height in the required front yard in any residential district.

No fence shall be allowed in the required right-of-way.

No fence shall conflict with the sight visibility requirements of Section 9.02.151.

Every fenced enclosure constructed under the provisions of this section shall have at least one gate in its perimeter.

Chain link fencing is only allowed on single-family residential lots and industrial sites.

All fences constructed under this section's provisions shall be maintained to comply with this section's requirements at all times. The Director may order the repair or removal of a fence if it is more than 5% damaged or leaning 10 degrees from vertical. Fences shall be repaired in compliance with the provisions of this section.

On all corner lots in residential districts with opposing rear lot lines, fences may be constructed not exceeding 96 inches in height along the side and rear yard lines, as indicated in Figure: 96 Inch Height Limit.

On all residential district corner lots where the rear lot line is opposed to a side lot line across an alley from that side lot line, no fence exceeding 30 inches in height shall be constructed upon or within the side yard that is next to the street at a distance from the side building line greater than the minimum side yard requirement, as indicated in Figure: Fence near Alley.

On all residential district corner lots that are key lots, the corner lot shall have a front building line on both streets, unless that key lot is separated from other lots by a dedicated street or alley. Where the lot lines are opposed to a side lot line of an adjoining lot, no fence exceeding 30 inches in height shall be constructed between the front building lines and the side yard line of the abutting lot, as indicated in Figure: Fence at Corner (Key Lot).

The minimum fence height is 6' from average lot grade with a maximum height of 8'.

Barbed wire fences used in conjunction with permitted agricultural and related activities are permitted without restrictions, but are expressly prohibited in all other districts except as provided below.

In residential areas, barbed wire, razor wire, electrified fencing, or other hazardous material are not allowed in the construction of fencing.

No fence that conducts an electrical current is allowed in any district or for any use except for those uses in an agricultural zoning district or correctional facility.

Barbed wire strands may be placed on top of permitted fences and screening devices in any district for the purpose of security from theft, entry, and hazard around public utility substations and uses of a similar nature, provided the top strand is not higher than 12 feet nor the bottom strand lower than eight feet from the adjacent grade line.

Barbed wire may be placed on gate arms, fences, and screening devices in industrial zoning districts.