Hedge Height Regulation Still on Hold?

The city’s Ordinance Committee this week voted to extend the suspension on hedge height regulation for another three years. The policy limits the heights of hedges, fences, and walls to eight feet around properties and three-and-a-half feet within 10 feet of a front lot line, but was suspended in 2008 after a rash of complaints from a few individuals led to spotty, and what some called unfair, enforcement. The last few years were meant to be used by staff to educate the public about the policy — which is typically only enforced if one neighbor tells on another — but budget cuts and reduced personnel levels prevented the outreach. The Ordinance Committee voted for the staff recommendation that only residents seeking approval for new development from the staff housing officer or Planning Commission would have to comply with the rules. Bamboo plantings everywhere, however, are still be subject to regulation. The City Council will vote on the proposal next month.