By Kathy Speer Santa Monica
My husband and I moved to our Sunset Park home on 20th Street in January 2004. We live on a block that serves as a thoroughfare to Santa Monica College. The noise from the cars (radios, honking), the car exhaust, our toddler’s safety and the general eyesore of stop and go traffic in front of our house led us to prioritize the erection of a 6’ redwood fence around the front of the property. After scouring the many city ordinances dictating what Santa Monica property owners could or could not do with their own land, I discovered that not only would we be limited to a 3 1/2’ fence, but that shrubbery also had to be limited to the same height. I contacted City Hall’s Planning and Community Development Department to find out if this was still an enforced ordinance, and if so, how I might appeal it due to special circumstances. The city employee I spoke with noted that the ordinance, while still enforced, was indeed antiquated. However, she gave me some historical reference so that I could understand why it had been put on the books and continued to exist: In short, it’s a good neighbor policy. As she explained it, back in the (circa) 1940s, the city wanted neighbors to have a clear view of one another’s homes so that they could all keep an eye out for one another in an effort to curb crime. Apparently, if I’m away and a burglar is prowling around my yard, my neighbors (who for the most part exist in fortified apartment structures with no direct view of my house) will either call the police (regular police, not hedge police, please) or make a citizen’s arrest of the wrongdoer. As far as appealing for relief from the ordinance, the same woman told me I could file such a request for a cost of $1,000 by way of a variance, but that I shouldn’t bother because these were always turned down with little consideration. The $1,000 sounds like an awful lot of money to process and review a simple request. But hey, the city gets to keep the $1,000 regardless of the decision.
I understand the need to keep certain fences/shrubs restricted due to street traffic concerns. If I’m backing out of my driveway, I want to see who is flying over the speed humps in my direction. But for those of us who have finally made home ownership a reality in a city we love (and in the case of my husband and I, were born in), it seems we should at least be entitled to the enjoyment of our front yards. And if any resident’s conditions are like those faced by my family, privatizing the front yard by way of a fence and or greenery is the only way for this to happen.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 18, 2004. Read the original PDF.