With public safety at the forefront of many residents’ minds, the city of Beverly Hills has received many requests in recent months to increase the height of walls, fences and hedges in rear alleys at residences throughout the city.

The Beverly Hills City Council on May 10 discussed the possibility of altering those height limits, which vary throughout the city. For example, for single-family homes in the Trousdale Estates area, the maximum height in a rear yard is eight feet. On the hillside, the maximum height is seven feet, unless the wall or fence is closer to the property line.

Restrictions for front and side yards vary depending on their location in the city as well.

The council directed the Beverly Hills Planning Commission to analyze the proposal, which the council will discuss further at a later date.

“This is something that we should do immediately, and I would say the first step is the alleys, and then we can look at the other elements, which will be a longer conversation and which will definitely require [the Beverly Hills Police Department’s] perspective,” Mayor Lili Bosse said.

Initiated by Councilman John Mirisch, the proposal was tailored to alter alleyways. However, Councilman Robert Wunderlich suggested that the council not restrict the possible alterations to only alleys.

“My concern there is that’s opening a can of worms,” Mirisch said. “It’s a much more complicated, bigger discussion. I’d much prefer that [the planning commission discuss] this. If we then want to have a discussion about [expanding it] separately, that’s fine.”

He said simplifying the proposal could expedite the approval process. Councilman Lester Friedman agreed.

“I think it’s a good idea [to have] both discussions, but I do think they should be separated, and we should move forward,” Friedman said.

According to a staff report, possible changes to height limits could have implications as far as “aesthetics, neighborhood compatibility and the open feeling of the community.” Mirisch said those concerns would be less of a problem if the council considered alterations to alleys only.

“In general, we want to keep the garden-like quality of the city,” he said. “We don’t want to make it seem like our homes are prisons, if you will. To me, this is low-hanging fruit, and that’s why I would like to fast-track it.”

Mirisch also suggested that the city withdraw code violations issued to residents who have exceeded the height restrictions.

Vice Mayor Julian Gold said he believes that residents feel more secure when the front of their homes are protected.

“If you want to do it in two steps, that’s fine,” he said. “But, I would very much support doing both.”

Bosse said the Beverly Hills Police Department officers had differing opinions on whether changes to the height limits would increase public safety. At one point, the general consensus was that increased visibility was safer, she said.

“I think there’s a lot more to the conversation,” Bosse said, adding that she wanted the proposal on the planning commission’s agenda as soon as possible.