By MOLLY DAVIDSON / Staff Writer

HOOVER—Residents of some of Hoover’s busiest roadways may now construct fences on their property. The Hoover City Council unanimously approved an amendment to the city’s fence regulation during an Aug. 17 meeting.

The amendment seeks to promote public safety “by permitting front yard fences on lots that front a street with a traffic count of at least 4,500 vehicles per day,” the ordinance reads

Roads that qualify for front yard fences include Alford Avenue, Caldwell Mill Road, Old Rocky Ridge Road, Patton Chapel Road, Rocky Ridge Road, Shades Crest Road, South Shades Crest Road and Tyler Road.

According to the ordinances, permitted fences “may not exceed four feet in height” and must be made of evenly spaced “vertical wood, metal or vinyl balusters” that “represent at least 50-percent of the surface area of the fence.” Split rail fences are permitted while chain link and other wire fences are not.

During the Aug. 17 meeting, city officials stated the amendment does not grant permission to construct privacy fences or walls in front yards.

The Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission approved the ordinance during a July 13 meeting, citing safety concerns, according to minutes from the meeting.

The Hoover City Council heard a first reading of the ordinance during a July 20 meeting prior to the Aug. 17 approval.