Fences and Hedges Subject of Public Workshop

By Olin Ericksen
Staff Writer

March 8 -- Nearly four months after fence and hedge height laws spurred a Kennedy to run for local office, Santa Monica residents will have their chance to find out if better barriers do indeed make better neighbors.

Wednesday night, the City will host its only scheduled workshop where neighbors can add their input on fence and hedge height limits and their enforcement. The City Council is expected to use the public's comments to help re-craft the ordinances this May.

In an 8.3-square-mile City of some 80,000 people, how tall fences or hedge should be, as well as when and how the current ordinance should be enforced, has been a simmering issue and the source of several late night Planning Commission meetings.

"There's been disagreement between neighbors on fences and hedges as long as I've been here," said Tony Kim, an associate planner for the City for five years, who is facilitating the workshop. "Yet I'd say its been more of an issue lately."

Tension over the laws came to head last year when Bobby Shriver –- who was elected to the council last November -- organized a group of neighbors north of Montana Avenue after he and others were cited $25,000 fines.

Shriver turned hedges into a hot-button issue that helped propel him into office as a crusader against City Hall’s red tape.

The City said the fines were a clerical mistake.

An assistant to Shriver said he is planning on attending the workshop.

Yet Shriver may be one of the few from the public to attend if email response is any indication.

"Just how many people will attend is the great unknown," Kim said, adding that he's only received a handful of emails about the workshop.

City Planning, Transportation Management and Building and Safety staff will be in attendance to help the public at the meeting, which is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Ken Edwards Center at 1427 Fourth Street.

Although Wednesday night’s meeting is the only scheduled public workshop on the issue, planning department officials said they will accept public comment though emails and phone until the council takes up the item.