Official:Amending Title 14 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Zoning and Planning," by increasing the permissible height for fences located on the front lot line of certain properties in residential districts; by prohibiting the use of barbed/razor/concertina wire or any similar type of wire on residentially-zoned property; and by permitting certain architectural embellishments on fences; all under certain terms and conditions.
Sponsor: Councilmember Clarke
Introduced: September 12, 2002
: Committee on Rules
Status: Lapsed
This bill was introduced in the 2000–2003 Council term and when that term ran out. The public record shows no committee vote and no floor vote at any stage, so no member of Council ever went on record for or against it.
That is not unusual here. Of the 8,465 bills introduced between 2000 and 2025, 1,624 lapsed without a single recorded vote. Ninety percent of bills that became law carry a roll call. Three percent of lapsed bills do. How this works.
This bill allows homeowners in certain residential areas to build taller fences (up to 4 feet) and prohibits barbed wire on front lot lines. It also permits decorative architectural features like trellises.
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