Upper Providence Township Montgomery County
City Zoning Code

If the fence is wood cover or wood frame, the framework must face onto the interior of the lot, unless the fence is so designed to provide equal frame and cover area to adjoining yards.

If the fence is open metal mesh supported by posts and frames of either pipe or wood, the posts and frames must be on the interior of the mesh.

If the fence is of masonry construction, a finished side must be provided to the exterior side.

Fences constructed of solid materials such as wood, metal, glass or masonry, singly or in combination, may be erected to a height not exceeding four feet in any front, side or rear yard, and chain-link fences may be erected to a height not exceeding eight feet, exclusive of barbwire topping, in any front, side or rear yard of any commercial or industrial zone property. Fencing of other material approved by the Township, up to six feet in height, may be used in any side or rear yard of a commercial property when abutting a residential zone/use to aid in the screening of the commercial use. Unless specifically permitted within a zoning district herein, fencing shall not be considered as a replacement for any required landscape buffers.

Any corner lot in a commercial or industrially zoned area may not have erected any fence, wall, structure, shrub, hedge or plant growth higher than three feet above the elevation of the center line of the street, measured 30 feet in either direction from a point defined by the intersection of the front lot line and the exterior side lot line.

Fences may not exceed eight feet in height when placed 100 feet or more back from an ultimate right-of-way line or property line; provided, however, that when a required building setback is greater than 100 feet, the fence may be no higher than six feet between said 100-foot distance and the prescribed setback. For chain link fences, the prescribed heights shall be exclusive of barbed wire topping. Buffering shall be installed on the outside of the fence. At a minimum, a Buffer Type 3 shall be installed, in accordance with the requirements of § 270-68D(5)(e) of Chapter 270, Subdivision and Land Development, unless, in the opinion of the Township, existing vegetation serves as an equivalent or superior buffer.

As a conditional use, fences may be permitted closer to an ultimate right-of-way line or property line than provided for in Subsection C(1) above, in accordance with the requirements herein. Said fences shall be ornamental and architecturally compatible with the development on the tract being fenced. Chain link fences may be permitted only, if in the opinion of the Board of Supervisors, the view of the fence is adequately filtered with existing or supplemental buffering or cannot be easily seen from off site.

At all entries to a public street and for a minimum distance of 400 feet on either side of an entry drive/road, any fencing proposed shall be ornamental and architecturally compatible with the development on the tract being fenced. The height of said fencing shall depend upon its distance back from the ultimate right-of-way line as prescribed in Subsections C(1) and (2) of this section. However, when said fences may impede sight distance, a reduced height shall be required to maintain proper vehicular and pedestrian safety. Said height shall be determined by the Township Engineer. Fences provided for in this subsection shall be no more than 50% opaque; walls shall only be permitted if they meet this criterion. Decorative pillars shall be installed on either side of each entry drive/road when fencing or walls are proposed. Additional pillars may be provided. All such pillars shall have a minimum width (or diameter if round) of two feet and may extend higher than the fence, up to 1 1/2 feet above the top of the fence sections. All such pillars shall be of a complementary design to the fence or wall.

Any fence on top of which barbed wire, razor wire or other security device is proposed to be installed shall require conditional use approval. The applicant shall demonstrate that such security device adds the minimum practical additional height to the fence and has been properly considered in the buffering for the fence.

Should there be any conflict between heights permitted in the various subsections of this section, the lower height shall prevail.

Regardless of any requirement to the contrary herein, chain link fencing may be provided along the frontage of a limited access highway. Said fence shall not exceed eight feet in height (exclusive of barbed wire topping).