> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Council clipping hedge debate
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/council-clipping-hedge-debate/
- Published: 2005-05-12T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T07:04:01.000Z
- Author: Ryan Hyatt
- Tags: Government & Politics, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*Hedge appeals may be cheap*

CITY HALL — Controversy over the botched enforcement of a 57-year-old hedge ordinance is coming to a head after Santa Monica officials agreed on a hedge policy intended to satisfy property owners and neighbors alike.

The Santa Monica City Council on Tuesday voted in favor of a hedge policy which will grandparent in existing hedge heights while providing neighbors an opportunity to object on quality of life issues. The new policy will attempt to update a hedge ordinance that dates back to 1948, while acknowledging that some property owners may prefer taller hedges than the law currently allows.

The City Council voted unanimously in favor of the new hedge policy, with Councilman Bob Holbrook absent from the meeting. City staff is expected to return with an ordinance draft in July, which the City Council will be able to modify before approval.

Two dozen residents spoke at Tuesday’s meeting, many of whom said they wanted a hedge policy which maximizes homeowner rights and ensures safety factors and a convenient appeal process.

“I don’t know people who come home from work and think, More than a year ago, City Hall directed 100 residents to cut their hedges or face a $25,000-a-day violation. In light of the controversy that followed, City Hall dropped the violations and decided to reassess the law. Part of this reassessment prompted a March workshop, which city planners used to prepare a report recommending a new hedge policy to the City Council on Tuesday.

While many who spoke at the meeting seemed to prefer a hedge policy that was liberal for property owners, a few of the speakers discussed the adverse effects of tall hedges in their neighborhoods.

Santa Monica resident Candy Arnold explained how a car backing up, surrounded by high hedges, struck and killed her young sister due to a limited field of vision.

> “What are you going to tell us next, what color curtains we can have?” — ‘I want people to look in my house,’” said Santa Monica resident Gerry Schwartz

Dawn Rosenquist said her landlord refuses to cut the hedges outside her apartment window, which blocks sunlight from entering her apartment. Rosenquist, who said her landlord often complains he could make more money off his apartment with new tenants, said he refuses to trim the hedges until City Hall forces the issue.

In considering the staff recommendations and public comment at Tuesday’s meeting, the City Council directed staff to maintain the 42-inch height limit for any new front yard hedge installation, while asking staff to address safety issues — such as the visibility of backing cars — in the ordinance draft. In addition, side and rear yard hedge height limits will be bumped from eight feet to possibly 12 feet.

Councilmembers requested fence and wall height limits be kept to existing regulations.

Under the new policy, residents could request their hedges have a higher limit, or to increase the height of a 42-inch hedge, if certain standards are met, such as the property being adjacent to a busy street or having a front yard serving as the only lawn.

The City Council requested staff to make sure the process for hedge variances and appeals are simple and economical. Councilman Bobby Shriver — whose election campaign was won largely on the hedge issue — asked the city staff to consider a $29.95 appeal process to make hedge objections easy and affordable to members of the public.

The city attorney and city manager said the attempt at hedge enforcement, which began more than a year ago, was not intended as revenue-maker for the city.

Councilman Ken Genser, who was in office when the hedge enforcement began more than a year ago, said the City Council directed staff to send friendly notices to residents, not the $25,000-aday violation notices they received instead.

“What happened is done,” said Genser. “The city made a mistake. What we need to decide now is what we’re going to do in the future.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 12, 2005.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/051205.pdf?ref=smdp.com)