(a)

Fences and walls may be permitted upon any property zoned for residential occupancy subject to the following provisions:

(1)

Front yards: Maximum height of four (4) feet and separated from the sidewalk by at least three (3) feet.

(2)

Side yards: Maximum height of four (4) feet from the front lot line to the building line and six (6) feet maximum height for the remaining side yard. See d(3) below for corner lot.

(3)

Rear yards: Maximum height of six (6) feet.

(b)

No fences or wall shall be constructed within a designated landscape easement (buffer) as shown on the approved site plan, unless such wall is specifically approved as part of the original site plan for the project.

(c)

Hedges.

(1)

May be maintained not to exceed six (6) feet, except not to exceed four (4) feet within the front yard setback. Sight distance restrictions may preclude the height and will control over all other criteria.

(2)

May be maintained at six (6) feet on top of a berm.

(d)

General regulations.

(1)

Berms: If a hedge is constructed on a berm, the maximum height shall be measured from the predominant grade of the adjacent yards and a continuity of berm and hedge pattern shall be maintained. Fences and walls may not be constructed on any portion of a berm, unless specifically approved as part of the site plan for the project.

(2)

Fence materials: Fences may be constructed of wood (with the exception of plywood), PVC, molded polyethylene composite, decorative metal, or other similar materials. Chain link fences are allowed on single family detached dwellings only. All chain link fences must be vinyl coated with green, black or bronze vinyl coating. Bare metal or galvanized chain link fences are prohibited. Slats for chain link fences are prohibited. The use of barbed wire on a fence is prohibited.

(3)

Corner lots: On a corner lot, no fences, walls or hedges shall be erected or maintained to a height exceeding thirty (30) inches above the surrounding grade within twenty-five (25) feet of the intersection of the front and side street right-of-way lines extended.

(4)

Side yard obstruction: No fence shall be constructed so as to prohibit access between the front and rear yards of a dwelling.

(5)

Easement: Any fence installed in a utility or canal easement shall either provide access for maintenance and repair work on said easement or risk removal when such work is required.

(6)

Entrance feature: Any development entrance feature, wall, fence or landscaping built on a utility easement shall require the owner to enter into a hold harmless agreement with the city such that replacement is not required.

(7)

Appearance: The finished side of a fence shall face the adjacent property or right-of-way. The exterior finish or color of the fence shall be consistent with the department's approved fence paint, stain, and color palette. All fences shall be constructed not to be unsightly and shall be firmly anchored and affixed to the land so as not to cause a hazard to surrounding property. All fences within the city shall be properly maintained so as not to become unsafe or unsightly.

(8)

Wing walls: Wing walls, lanais or other similar enclosures are permitted within the side yard.

(9)

Common areas: When a landscape buffer or easement is included in any residential development, the maintenance responsibility of the land and any improvements thereon shall be by the homeowners association.

(Ord. No. 402-97-E, § 1, 8-26-97; Ord. No. 402-98-B, § 11, 6-9-98; Ord. No. 402-01-F, § 5, 8-14-01; Ord. No. 402-24-C, § 2, 6-11-24)

(a)

Nonresidential uses requiring side and rear buffers.

(1)

General requirements. Any commercial, office, or industrial use abutting a residential district or industrial use abutting any adjacent use shall have a ten-foot wall or fence to serve as a visual and sound buffer. It shall be located in a landscaped area as specified in subsection 16-169(b)(3). This buffer shall be required along the entire length of side and rear lot lines, except where such lot lines abut a street or waterfront.

(2)

Where a wall intended to serve as a visual and sound buffer is located upon a residentially-zoned parcel and an application is subsequently made for a site plan for commercial or industrial use of the adjacent property, subparagraph (a) (1) shall be considered satisfied by that site plan application if the existing wall meets all of the following requirements:

a.

The wall must be continuous, adjacent to the commercial parcel, and at least six (6) feet in height.

b.

The wall must comply with the design features set forth in subsection (d) of this section.

c.

If the wall is less than ten (10) feet in height, a landscape buffer of at least twenty (20) feet in width shall be provided to further screen the commercial or industrial uses from surrounding residential uses. The landscape buffer shall be comprised of specimen trees that are planted at intervals of twenty-five (25) feet on center. Specimen trees provided as part of this requirement shall be in addition to, and shall not count towards the minimum number of specimen trees required pursuant to subsection 16-165(d)(6).

(3)

Where the pre-existing wall does not meet all of the requirements of (2), such wall shall be removed and the requirements of subparagraph (1) of subsection (a)(1) shall apply.

(b)

Buffers adjacent to streets.

(1)

Multifamily and nonresidential districts: See section 16-169 for required landscape buffers adjacent to trafficways and other streets in all multifamily (RM), business (B), industrial (I-1) and community facility (CF) districts.

(2)

Single-family residential districts: In areas where the property line of a single-family residential development abuts a trafficways plan as depicted on the trafficway plan, the development shall install one (1) of the following:

a.

Wall: Install a six-foot masonry or concrete wall, or a wall of other material approved by the city, along the property line abutting the trafficway. Said wall shall be set back five (5) feet from the sidewalk and a hedge or shrubs shall be planted in conformance with subsection 16-165(f), between the wall and the sidewalk to allow for landscaping. Said wall shall be a uniform type and design and be compatible with similar structures in the surrounding areas, or

b.

Berm: Install a landscaped berm along the property line abutting the trafficway in accordance with Article X. The landscaped berm shall include a continuous hedge along or near the peak of the berm such that the total height of the berm plus the hedge is at least four (4) feet at the time of planting. The remaining portions of the bermed area shall be covered by either sod or a ground cover approved by the city. In addition, the bermed area shall contain a minimum of one (1) tree for every twenty-five (25) lineal feet. In single-family residential districts, a sodded swale area at least five (5) feet in width shall be provided unless the roadway is curbed.

(3)

Fences in trafficway buffers: No fences shall be erected in these trafficway buffers unless specifically approved by the site plan process.

(c)

Buffers adjacent to abutting properties. See section 16-169 for required landscape buffers adjacent to abutting properties in multifamily (RM), business (B), industrial (I-1) and community facility (CF) districts.

(d)

Wall design. A required wall shall be a masonry or solid concrete block and stucco (CBS) steel-reinforced wall, with a continuous footing. The wall shall be a uniform type and design and be compatible with similar structures in the surrounding area. Said wall shall be set back a minimum of ten (10) feet from sidewalks to allow room for trees, low, mid and upper level landscaping on the exterior side of the wall. All walls shall, in addition to the above, incorporate the following design features.

(1)

At intervals no greater than thirty (30) feet, vertical columns or structural elements such as pilasters which break the vertical and/or horizontal plane of the adjoining wall surface;

(2)

Changes in wall materials and/or textures such as banding or reveals providing a minimum of two (2) materials or textures for the exterior surface of the wall;

(3)

Stone or stucco cap moldings and column caps;

(4)

Where required walls abut street rights-of-way or trafficways, if specifically approved by the site plan process, open breaks in a required wall containing aluminum or galvanized steel picket fencing may substitute for that portion of a wall that would otherwise be required. The total length of such open breaks containing fencing shall be not more than twenty-five (25) percent of the length of the wall abutting streets or trafficways. The required height of said fencing shall be equal to the required height of the abutting wall. All open breaks containing fencing shall, in addition to the above, incorporate the following design features:

a.

Masonry or solid concrete block and stucco (CBS) steel-reinforced vertical columns spaced at intervals not exceeding the column spacing of the abutting wall and designed to be compatible with the abutting wall columns;

b.

Fencing containing a minimum of two (2) textures;

c.

Fencing designed to be compatible with the abutting wall;

d.

Open breaks with fencing may be located to enhance security and accent entries, but shall not be located where a wall would reduce noise and visual impacts as determined at site plan review;

e.

Required plant material may be planted on either side of fencing.

Alternatives such as precast concrete walls may be approved by the department when such walls incorporate the above design features and are equal to or better in appearance than concrete block and stucco walls.

All such walls shall be installed by the developer or landowner prior to the issuance of the first certificate of occupancy. Walls shall be attractively and neatly maintained.

(Ord. No. 402-97-E, § 1, 8-26-97; Ord. No. 402-98-B, § 12, 6-9-98; Ord. No. 402-02-F, § 4, 8-27-02; Ord. No. 402-07-C, § 11, 6-27-07)

On a corner lot in any residential district, nothing shall be erected, placed, planted or allowed to in such a manner as to materially impede vision between a height of two and one-half (2½) and eight (8) feet above the centerline grade of the intersecting streets in the area bounded by the edge of pavement of such corner lots and a line joining points along said street lines twenty-five (25) feet from the point of intersection.

(Ord. No. 402-97-E, § 1, 8-26-97)

(a)

Any wall or fence shall be constructed in accordance with the provisions of the South Florida Building Code. Any such fence or wall shall be constructed so that no unfinished portion thereof shall be exhibited to any adjacent properties. No fence or other barrier of a mesh or steel wire construction shall be erected or maintained so that any wire prong or overhang shall project upward or outward from the property upon which erected or maintained. All wood fences shall be constructed of new material and no used wood material shall be permitted.

(b)

It shall be unlawful to erect or maintain anywhere in the city, a fence equipped with or having barbed wire, spikes or any similar device, or any electrical charge sufficient to cause shock, except as provided in subsection (c) below.

(c)

An electrical distribution substation may have a maximum of three (3) strands of barbed wire to be mounted on top of a non-climbable wire mesh fence, to be approved at the time of site plan approval by the city commission.

(d)

A telecommunication tower exceeding three hundred fifty (350) feet in height, primarily serving public purposes, may have a maximum of three (3) strands of barbed wire to be mounted on top of a non-climbable chain link fence, to be approved by department staff.

(Ord. No. 402-97-E, § 1, 8-26-97; Ord. No. 402-00-D, § 2, 8-22-00; Ord. No. 402-03-B, § 2, 5-13-03)

Unless lower heights are specified in the requirements of section 16-192 above, no fence or wall shall exceed ten (10) feet except as for generator enclosures, compactor enclosures, transformer substation buffering and other such accessory uses, subject to administrative approval by the department.

(Ord. No. 402-97-E, § 1, 8-26-97; Ord. No. 402-00-D, § 3, 8-22-00; Ord. No. 402-02-F, § 5, 8-27-02)