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Home My WebLink AboutORD 3899 ' ' � ' ' ' � Amended' b� Ord�nance No. 3910 � 4056 CITY OF RENTON, WASHINGTON ORDINANCE N0. 3899 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF RENTON, WASHINGTON AMENDING A PORTION OF SECTION 4-702 OF TITLE IV (BUILDING REGULATIONS) OF ORDINANCE NO. 1628 KNOWN AS "CODE OF GENERAL ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF RENTON BY ADDING DEFINITIONS AND AMENDING SECTION 4-717 (C) OF TITLE IV (BUILDING REGULATIONS) RELATING TO FENCES AND HEDGES THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RENTON, WASHINGTON DO ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS: SECTION I: Existing Section 4-702 (F) of Title IV (Building Regulations) of Ordinance No. 1628 entitled "Code of General Ordinances of the City of Renton is hereby amended to read as follows: Section 4-702 (F) , as amended: l . FAMILY: A number of related individuals or not more than four (4) unrelated individuals living together as a single housekeeping unit and doing their cooking on the premises. 2 . FENCE: A barrier erected to enclose or screen areas of land. A fence may be constructed of wood, masonry or any other material including vegetation. 3 . FRONT PROPERTY LINE: The front property line shall be the frontline as shown upon the official plats of the property. 4 . FRONT YARD: An open, unoccupied space on the same lot with a building between the front line of the building (exclusive of steps) ' and the front property line. Section 4-702 (H) , as amended: l . HAZARDOUS: See "recognized higher risk" 2 • HEARING EXAMINER: A person appointed to conduct public hearings on applications outlined in the City Ordinance creating the position of Hearing Examiner. See Chapter 4-30 for duties and responsibili- ties . • �. , � ' . . . � .. . � . ORDINANCE NO. 3899 3 . HEDGE: A row of closely planted shrubs or low-growing trees forming a fence or boundary. 4 . HIGHLY FLAMMABLE LIQUID: Any liquid of Class I or II as specified under flammable liquid in the latest edition of the Uniform Fire Code published by the International Conference of Building Officials and the Western Fire Chiefs Association. 5 . HOME OCCUPATION: Any use conducted entirely within a dwelling and carried on by persons residing in that dwelling unit, of which the use is clearly incidental and secondary to the use of the dwelling for dwelling purposes. SECTION II: Existing Section 4-717 (C) of Title IV (Building Regulations) of Ordinance No. 1628 entitled "Code of General Ordinances f he it of Renton" is hereb amended to read as follows: o t C y y Section 4-717 (C) , as amended: Fences and Hedges: (1) Purpose: These regulations are intended to regulate the material and height of fences and hedges, particularly in front � yards and in yards abutting public rights-of-way, in order to promote traffic and public safety and to maintain aesthetically pleasing neighborhoods. The following regulations are intended to provide and maintain adequate site distance along public rights-of-way and at intersections and to encourage safe ingress and egress from individual properties. These regulations also encourage the feeling of spaciousness along neighborhood streets and minimize the closed city atmosphere which tall fences along public rights-of-way can create . A property owner wishing to vary the height restrictions or f n or hed e on a lot ma make written a lication to the placement of a e ce g y pp -2- , , • �. . ORDINANCE N0. 3899 Building and Zoning Department for an administrative review of the situation. The Department ' s staff shall review the application and prepare a written determination based upon criteria listed in these regulations . The provisions and conditions of this section regulating height are not �pplicable to fences or barriers required by State law �rovisions or by the zoningnof this code to surround and enclose public safety installations, school grounds, public playgrounds, private or public swimming pools and similar installations and improvements . (2) General Requirements: a. Heiqht Limitations : 1. Residential Uses : a) Interior Lots: 1) Fences or hedges a maximum of forty-two (42" ) inches in height may be allowed on any part of the lot. 2) Side Lot Lines: Fences or hedges on ' interior lot lines of required front yards must be a maximum of forty-two (4�') ' inches in height. Fences or hedges on interior side lot lines not within required front yards may be a maximum of seventy-two (72" ) inches in height. 3) Rear Lot Line : A fence or hedge a maximum of seventy-two (72) inches may be located on the rear lot line . 4) Fences or hedges along rear lot lines of interior lots abutting alleys shall contain an access gate to the alley. b) . Corner 1ots: 1) Fences and hedges a maximum of forty- two (42) inches in height may be allowed on any part of the lot. 2) Interior Side Lot line: Fence or hedge a maximum of seventy-two (72) inches in -3- • � . ORDINANCE NO. 3899 height may be located on interior side lot lines to the rear of the rear line of the required front yard. 3) Side Lot line Abutting Street: Fence or , hedge a maximum of forty-two (42) inches ', in height. I 4 ) Rear Lot Line: Fence or hedge a maximum of seventy-two (72) inches in height may be located along the rear lot line except the ' fence shall be limited to forty-two (42) I, inches in height where the fence constitutes ' the width of the required side yard of the side street and where the fence abuts the front yard of an interior lot . 5) Fences or hedges along rear lot lines of interior lots abutting alleys shall contain � an access gate to the alley. 2 . Commercial, Industrial and Other Uses: A maximum of '� eight (8) feet anywhere on the lot provided the fence j, does not stand in or in front of any required land- I scaping or pose a traffic vision hazard. ' b. Measurement of Fence Height: I 1 . The height shall be measured from the top board, rail or wire to the ground. In cases where a masonry ' wall is used as a fence, height shall be measured from the top surface of the wall to the ground on the high side of the wall . A berm may not be constructed with a fence on it unless the total height of the berm plus the fence is less than the maximum height allowable for the fence if the berm was not present. 2 . Where the finished grade is a different elevation on either side of a fence, the height may be measured from the side having the highest elevation. (3) Fence Types: a. Electric Fences: by special review 1 . Electric fences are permittednin all residential zones in cases where large domestic animals are 1 being kept �rovided additional fencing or other i barrier is erected along the property line. -4- I ,� , • . , , , • , • . . . ORDINANCE N0. 3899 2 . All electric fences shall be posted with permanent signs a minimum of 36 square inches in area at intervals of fifteen (15) feet stating that the fence is electrified. 3 . Electric fences and any related equipment and appliances must be listed with or labeled by a qualified testing agency and shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer ' s specifications and in compliance with the National Electric Code. b. Barbed Wire Fences: Barbed wire may only be used on top of fences at least six (6) feet high for commercial, industrial, utility and public uses. c. Other: 1 . Bulk Storage Fences : See Section 4-734 2 . Fences for mobile home parks, subdivisions or planned unit development and for sites which are mined, graded or excavated may vary from these regulations as provided in the respective code sections. (4 ) Special Review Process: a. Persons wishing to have one of the following types of fences may submit a letter of justification and a plot plan together with the permit fee to the Building and Zoning Department: 1 . Fences exceeding forty-two (42) inches within front ' yard setbacks . 2 . Solid fences along side property lines abutting arterial streets. 3 . Electric fences. b. The Building and zoning Department shall approve the issuance of special fence permits provided that: 1. The fence is designed so that the portion above forty-two (4Z) inches is composed of open work such as wire, wrought iron, lattice or other suitable material and is constructed in such a manner that eighty percent (800) of any portion of such fence is open to light and air. The open area (eighty percent portion) of the fence above forty-two (42) inches must be maintained. I 2 . Fences along property lines abutting a side street which is an arterial may be a maximum of six (6) feet in height. This fence must be located to the rear of the required front yard. In addition, driveways will not be allowed to access through -5- ' ¢ ' . . . ' • , � ' ' ' ` • ' ' ��. ORDINANCE NO. 3899 ', this fence. The location of the fence exceeding forty-two (42) inches in height along property lines, particularly the front and side lot lines along flanking arterial streets, does not obstruct views of on-coming traffic at inter- sections or driveways. (5) Fenc�es which do not comply with these regulations must be brought into compliance within six (6) months from the date of notice of fence violation from the City. SECTION III: This Ordinance shall be effective upon its passage, approval and thirty (30) days after publication. PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL this J.8thday of March, 1985 . ��'-,��. � �' Maxine E. Motor, City Clerk APPROVED BY THE MAYOR this 18th day of March, 1985 . �G�4�1w�� n.Opc-� Barbara Yn Shinpo�h, Mayor Approved as to form C��-,'�,.`', Lawrence J. War�'en, City Attorney Date of Publication: March 22 , 1985. -6-