City Orders Halt to New Front Fences

Hoping to stop the runaway fortification of houses in Santa Ana--where everything from scrap metal to wooden warehouse pallets is routinely used by residents to build frontyard fences--the City Council on Monday imposed a construction moratorium while officials review an ordinance that many say is not restrictive enough.

“I’m glad to bring this forward now,” said Councilwoman Lisa Bist, who was among the first residents five years ago to question whether the city’s fence ordinance needs updating. “These fences really do ruin the look of a neighborhood.”

The move comes on the heels of a citywide study showing that half of Santa Ana’s 13,500 residential fences are illegal because they are taller than the 4-foot height limit or made from chain link, which is not allowed under city ordinance.

The report, coupled with continuing complaints from residents that the mishmash of fences amounts to visual blight, prompted officials to take a closer look. The emergency moratorium on fence-building activity was passed unanimously.

Several residents urged the council Monday to add a permit requirement for any type of gate or fence to be erected on private property. Many complained that their streets are lined with barricaded homes, giving the impression that neighborhoods are not safe.

“If you see a fence go up, it gives the feeling of crime in the neighborhood,” Councilman Ted R. Moreno said. “The reality is crime is not as high as it has been in the past.”

Dave Lopez, a volunteer code-enforcement officer for the city, said frontyard fences tend to “spring up overnight,” making it difficult to stay on top of violations.

“By the time we find out about an illegal fence, it’s usually already built and finished,” Lopez said. “And a lot of times we’re talking about very permanent structures here, with cement and brick or wrought iron. People don’t take kindly to being told all of a sudden that it has to come down.”

Council members set the moratorium at 45 days, during which they will try to decide how the ordinance can be amended to provide better oversight in the construction of frontyard fences and gates.

One idea is to broaden the list of forbidden fence-building materials and lower the height limit from 4 feet to 3, which Bist said is a restriction more common in other cities.

Not everyone supports the moratorium. Several residents said that fences and gates ensure security and that the issue boils down to basic property rights.

Danny Graham, a Wilshire Square resident, said he hopes city officials will leave the fence ordinance alone.

“It’s like they’re trying to regulate individual taste,” he said. “I personally don’t want to see every house have the same kind of frontyard fence.”

Times correspondent Susan McCormack contributed to this report.