If you were one of the Alexandrians building 18-foot high fences and justifying them as “trellises,” your days of evading local ordinances are numbered.
As part of an ongoing effort to update Alexandria’s zoning ordinances from the 1990s — which a report noted contains errors and inconsistencies — city staff is updating the city’s rules regarding fences and structures on residential and commercial properties in the city.
“Throughout the past several years staff has identified various challenges of the Zoning Ordinance and recommends providing updates to regulate the placement of fences and structures through modifying allowed fence heights and visions clearance provisions,” the report said.
The report adds definitions for arbors and pergolas, noting that both structures must be at least 80 percent open. At a Planning Commission meeting last Thursday (Oct. 3), staff said the changes were necessary to combat residents using the current vague language to build structures that amounted to fences that exceeded the city’s limits.
“There is a need for height limits to these accessory structures, for instance, trellises,” staff said. “What we found are people are erecting trellises to use as fences. These are 12, 15, even 18 feet high. They’re saying it’s a trellis even when it’s a fence. We’re looking to create some type of height regulation to prevent abuse of having no regulation.”
The new ordinance mandates that these structures be no more than ten feet in height — high enough to stand under but low enough to maintain vegetation growing on the structure.
For those building legitimate fences, though, the ordinance now gives homeowners another half-foot of leeway, increasing maximum fence heights from 3.5 feet to 4 feet.
The Planning Commission unanimously approved the changes.
“I’m completely in support of this effort,” said Planning Commission member Stephen Koenig. “I think this is another phase in what is a continuous, well organized, thoughtful examination of the zoning ordinance. This is a very nice package of rather interrelated and coordinated bits and pieces at the small neighborhood scale.”
Staff photo by Jay Westcott
Recent Stories
It was a big week for questions about the future of development, density and affordable housing. In neighboring Arlington, the County Board voted to approve ‘Missing Middle’ zoning changes that…
A GoFundMe campaign for James Lee, a bartender at Mason Social, has raised $58,653 to help him recover from being shot multiple times in an attempted carjacking. Zebra reported last…
The Potomac Crescent Waldorf School (PCWS) opened its new campus in Old Town, Alexandria at 424 N. Washington Street on March 14. The school, which started in 1997 — serving…
A 4 BD/3.5 BA home with newly refinished floors, fireplace and rear patio is included in Just Listed.
Monarch Montessori School located in the heart of Del Ray is enrolling children 6 weeks to 6 years of age for our half day and full day program.
Our hours of operation are 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM, Monday-Friday. Monarch Montessori School is open year round, with intermittent breaks.
Children engage in self-directed, self-initiated activities under the guidance of a trained Montessori teacher. Classroom sizes range from 8-12 students. Our robust curriculum includes botany, sensorial activities, the social graces, culture, math, science, practical life, geography, music appreciation and language arts.
You’ll get half off of the registration fee when you register and begin care with us before April 30, 2023.
Press Release:
EDBS Dental Billing Solutions is pleased to announce that it has achieved compliance with the federally mandated standards of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) through the use of Compliancy Group’s proprietary HIPAA methodology, The Guard® compliance tracking software, and HIPAA Seal of Compliance®.
The HIPAA Seal of Compliance is issued to organizations that have implemented an effective HIPAA compliance program through the use of The Guard, Compliancy Group’s proprietary compliance tracking solution.
Clients and patients are becoming more aware of the requirements of HIPAA compliance and how the regulation protects their personal information. Forward-thinking providers like EDBS Dental Billing Solutions choose the HIPAA Seal of Compliance to differentiate their services.
Del Ray Dog Fest & Yappy Hour
The 1st Annual Del Ray Dog Fest is a fun outdoor event that will include dog-centered activities, dog menu items, live music, vendors and food on Sunday, April 2 from 11am- 3pm at the George Washington Middle School parking lot.
