Council debates fence and retaining‑wall changes; staff to convene industry working group

Senior Planner Anthony Santoro presented a cleanup to fence/wall code sections that would add an administrative‑deviation process and align retaining‑wall setbacks and heights (for example, limiting retaining walls near property lines to about 4–4.5 feet and adding technical specifications). Santoro said the changes aim to avoid inconsistent or unsafe retaining‑wall construction and to protect visual corridors to waterways.

Several council members raised technical and practical concerns for waterfront properties where finished‑floor elevations and base‑flood elevations can produce large grade differences between a pool deck and the seawall; in those cases a 4‑foot retaining‑wall limit might require expensive terracing or additional fall protection and could unintentionally increase visual obstruction for neighbors. Council member Steinke asked staff to consider typical local finished‑floor elevation and FEMA obligations before finalizing the numeric limits; staff said the proposal was based on prototypical designs but is open to changing the cap to better reflect local conditions.

Outcome: Staff agreed to convene a targeted working session with Council member Steinke, building and development stakeholders, and industry representatives to refine the retaining‑wall and fence language and return with revised code language that balances flood/fall protection, visual corridors, and constructability.