EITHER SIDE—The City Council and the planning commission aren’t in agreement over a March 2006 ordinance that prohibits the use of wood as a fencing material in Simi Valley. WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers City leaders are splintered on the issue of wooden fences.

While the City Council proposed reversing the city’s fouryear ban on wood fencing earlier this year, the planning commission is not so sure that’s a good idea.

The commissioners, who are appointed by the council, tackled the subject at their Aug. 18 meeting.

Commissioner Mary Bibb said it was a “poor” idea to change the ordinance.

“There are areas in Simi that have old wooden fences still up and they look bad,” she said. “People do not take care of wood fences.”

Commissioner Jim Dantona agreed, adding that wood fences can become “real shabby real quick.”

In March 2006, the city updated its development code and voted to prohibit the use of wood as an approved fencing material in all zoning districts of the city.

The decision was prompted by concerns over the maintenance of wood, which has higher-than-average repair costs and quickly deteriorates in Simi’s hot, arid environment.

The City Council decided at that time that fencing in new subdivisions and new fencing in other areas should be made of more durable decorative masonry, wrought iron, stucco, vinyl and composite materials.

Currently, wood may only be used to replace existing wood fencing in need of maintenance.

However, in February of this year, the council directed city staff to draft amendments to the municipal code that would allow wooden fencing in residential areas—even areas that are visible from the street.

The council members felt that the choice of using wood or another type of material should be left up to the homeowner and that it’s code enforcement’s job to step in if someone allows their fence to fall into disrepair.

Paul Drury, deputy director of environmental services for the city, told the commission that the council felt allowing wood would give the city a more diverse look while providing homeowners and developers with more flexibility and design options.

Still, Commission Chair Keith Mashburn said he was “baffled by the reasoning.”

“To give a blanket approval for wood fences I think would be the wrong message for the city,” he said.

Commissioner Michael McGuigan added that decorative looks, such as split rail fencing, can be accomplished with vinyl or composite material. composite material.

As a result, the commission recommended not amending the municipal code to allow for wood fencing.

The planning commission did agree to recommend a different amendment to the code, one that would allow business owners to put up more signs in their windows.

In response to concerns about excess temporary signage, the City Council in 2008 reduced the temporary window sign area from 50 percent to 20 percent. But by the time the signage for name, hours of operation and the like were measured, it was difficult for owners to meet the 20 percent max.

In order to provide businesses with a more reasonable amount of space for putting up signs for advertising, sales, seasonal items and operational information, the commission approved revising the coverage area to 40 percent—which means signs can’t obscure or ren- der opaque more than 40 percent of the glass surface upon which it is affixed or painted.

The City Council will have the final say on both the wood fencing and the window signage issues.