(a) Zoning Certificate Required. No fence, wall or screening shall be constructed, altered or extended within the side, rear or front yard setback without first obtaining approval either with an individual zoning certificate or as part of another application with which the fencing is only one (1) portion of the project.
(b) Height in Residential and Commercial Districts.
(1) Fences and screening of a purely decorative nature are permitted to extend up to three (3) feet into the front yard from the principal building and parallel to the street.
(2) Fences or screening within front yards and side yards extending from the front line of the principal building toward the street right of way shall not exceed more than three (3) feet above the established front yard grade.
(3) Fences or screening in rear yards extending from the rear of the principal building toward the rear lot line shall not exceed more than six (6) feet above the established rear yard grade.
(4) Fences in side yards between the front and rear line of the principal building shall not exceed four (4) feet in height.
(c) Height in Industrial Districts. Walls and fences up to eight (8) feet in height shall be permitted in an industrial zoned district. Screening may be required where the industrial district is abutted by a residential district.
(d) Finished Side. All fences shall be constructed so that the finished side faces adjacent property or any public right-of-way. All of the framing or support members shall face the property owner (inward).
(e) Fencing Materials.
(1) Approved Materials. Fences must be constructed of wood, metal, bricks, masonry, vinyl or other materials designed for permanent outdoor fencing. Wood fences must be constructed of cedar, redwood or other decay resistant wood.
(2) Prohibited Materials. Fences constructed from snow fencing, plywood or materials originally intended for other purposes.
(3) Exceptions. Injurious materials, such as barbed wire, razor ribbon, electric fences, or spike fences, are not permitted in any residential area. See also Section 521.05: Fences of the City of Fremont Codified Ordinances.
(f) Maintenance. Fences and walls shall be maintained in good repair, be structurally sound, and be attractively finished at all times by the owner and/or occupant of the lot on which they are located.
(g) Swimming Pool and Patio Fencing. Walls and fences up to eight (8) feet in height shall be permitted in the immediate area of a swimming pool or patio in the interior of a lot. For additional fencing requirements for swimming pools, see Section 1131.18: Swimming Pools, Private.
(i) Measurements.
(1) Fencing and walls are to be measured at the highest point, not including columns or posts, of the fence section as measured from the grade on the side nearest the abutting property or street. The Zoning Inspector may allow a gap (typically 1 to 2 inches) between the grade and fence bottom for installation purposes.
(2) Columns or posts may not extend more than 18 inches above the built height of the fence or wall. Columns or posts must be separated by a horizontal distance of at least for (4) feet, except at gates.
(3) A side or rear yard fence may be erected or altered up to an additional two (2) feet, not to exceed a total height of eight (8) feet, where the ground-floor elevation of the principal dwelling on an abutting lot is at least four (4) feet higher than the elevation at the abutting lot line. The ratio of additional height allowed shall be six (6) inches for each foot of higher elevation.
Figure 1131.07-1: Additional height where home on adjacent lot is 4 feet higher.
(Ord. 2020-4053. Passed 1-7-21.)