On April 8, 2019, the City Commission approved Resolution No. 44-2019, a Zoning in Progress for building permits pertaining to fences located in the front yard within the R-1A, R-1, R-2 and R-3 zoning districts. Staff prepared this Zoning in Progress so that it could work on the details of a comprehensive review of the City's fence regulations and potentially recommend text changes specifically as they pertain to safety, general welfare and aesthetics of fences that are located in the front yard of residential districts. The front yard includes all area within the property boundary between the front façade of the principle residence and the front property line and would include the side property lines, including the sides of corner lots, that are forward of the residence.

On April 25, 2019, staff held a workshop with the Local Planning Agency (LPA). Workshops are integral in the process, by providing a forum for staff to hear public input and the board's recommendations. Staff has provided the minutes from the hearing. In summary, the LPA was in support the text change with one exception. Christina de la Vega disagrees with the recommendation of a 4' height limit for fences and 8' for hedges in the front yard and that fences in the front yard be an open style. She did agree that if 6' closed fences are used on side corners and front yards, they should be landscaped. Members of the LPA suggested that staff obtains feedback from Stuart Police Department. Amongst a number of comments from the LPA (which will be discussed in detail at the workshop), was the following discussion items: 1) Should a right of way clearance zone limit the height of fences to 4' in the front and how will this zone be measured, 2) What type of fences should be allowed in the front yard and side corner lot lines, 3) How should the City address fences made nonconforming by these text changes and 4) Should the code be specific to the desire of the neighborhood and the type and function of the street, such as the creation of streetscape design.  A detailed review of all the comments and staff responses will be in the staff presentation.

Staff will have a visual presentation with diagrams, pictures, and the text of the current code. Attached to this agenda is the City's Land Development Code section that pertains to fences, walls, hedges and other enclosures for the general zoning districts (R-1A, R-1, R-2 and R-3) and the minutes to the LPA workshop.