(a) Private Property. Any fence shall be located entirely on the private property of the person erecting it; no fence shall be erected on any easement, alley, street, sidewalk, right-of-way, or other public property without the express consent of City Council. There shall be a maximum of one fence per property line for each property owner.
(b) Adjoining Properties and Fences. Adjoining property owners may jointly apply for a fence permit, in which case the Building Superintendent may permit it to be constructed on their common property line. A fence shall not be attached to or touch a fence located on another lot without the express written agreement of the owners of both fences.
When a fence is erected parallel to an existing fence, no more than three inches is permitted between such fences, and the maintenance of the area between the fences shall be the responsibility of the property owner erecting the newer fence. Fence panels may be raised four inches above grade to allow for such maintenance.
In every case, fences must be constructed with adequate posts and other supports so that each fence is capable of maintaining an upright position and the location described in the original fence permit application.
(c) Front Lot Lines and Corner Lots. Fences located along the side lot line abutting a street on a corner lot, and fences along any front lot line, shall be located no closer than one foot to the edge of the sidewalk or any driveway, or one foot to the lot line if there is no adjacent sidewalk.
(d) Visibility. Any fence erected within ten feet of the intersection of a driveway and a right-of-way shall permit a motorist unobstructed view of the right-of-way when exiting the driveway. The sidewalk shall be visible for a distance of ten feet on both sides of the driveway. Visibility shall be judged three feet above the sidewalk from the garage doorjambs or ten feet from the sidewalk along the driveway's edge, whichever is closer, whether or not the fence is on the same lot as the driveway.
(e) Pedestrian Safety. If a fence is used on a corner lot to deter pedestrians from walking through a private front yard area, the fence must be visible so as not to present a safety hazard at night or during other times of low visibility. Thin strands of wire, cable or cord shall not be permitted to be attached to standing poles to form such fences.
(Res. 01-520A. Passed 8-13-01.)