Title
Ordinance amending the Pittsburgh Code, Title Nine, Zoning Code, Article VI, Development Standards, Chapter 918, Landscaping and Screening Standards to provide language on the quality of materials in screening applications.
Body
Be it resolved that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The Pittsburgh Code, Title Nine, Zoning Code, Article VI, Development Standards, is hereby amended at Chapter 918, Section 918.03.B.1, as follows:
918.03.B.1 Materials and Methods
Required screening shall be provided in the form of new or existing natural plantings, walls and fences, topographic changes, buildings, horizontal separation, or a combination, according to the provisions of this chapter.
(a) Landscaping
Landscape screening shall be a minimum depth of five (5) feet, and plant materials shall be a minimum height of forty-two (42) inches at the time of planting. Evergreen plants or plants with dense structure year round shall be employed.
(b) Fences and Walls
Walls or fences shall be compatible with architectural style and building materials, shall be constructed of appropriate materials, including, but not limited to iron grating, wood, stone, or brick, and shall [that] provide the required degree of opacity, durability and aesthetic compatibility with the surrounding context [adjoining areas]. The finished side of a fence or wall shall be placed on the outside of the fenced area. Landscaping may be combined with walls or fences to achieve the required screening. Barbed wire and razor wire are not permitted. Chain link fencing with slat inserts is permitted only in GI zoning districts. Walls greater than forty (40) feet in length shall incorporate some form of visual relief, including, but not limited to, pattern breaks, varying wall construction, vertical features such as columns, differing construction materials, or a combination of the above.
(c) Topographic Changes
Changes in topography, such as ch...
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