Santa Barbara County's Land Use and Development Code does not generally prohibit specific fence materials such as barbed wire, chain link, or wood. Material is regulated indirectly through height, setback, design review, and Coastal Zone scenic-impact rules. State law (Penal Code) bars dangerous wire near schools and on residential lots.
LUDC § 35.30.070 governs fences by height, location and permit requirement but does not list prohibited materials for residential property in unincorporated areas. Material restrictions arise indirectly: (1) within the Coastal Zone, a fence is exempt from a Coastal Development Permit only if it does not 'result in significant adverse impacts to scenic views from beaches, parklands, public viewing areas, and public roadways' (Table 3-1 footnote (1)(c)), which effectively limits opaque or reflective materials in viewshed areas; (2) outdoor-storage and screening rules (e.g., LUDC § 35.30 series, parking screening) call for 'solid walls, fences or hedges'; (3) Design Review under § 35.82.070 can impose material and color conditions in scenic and community plan areas. For private barbed/razor wire in residential settings, California Penal Code § 369g (railroad fences) and § 552 et seq. (industrial trespass), and Civil Code § 841 (good-neighbor partition fences), apply as the state default since the County has no local prohibition.
Because the LUDC imposes no general material ban, most enforcement is via the underlying permit conditions: a Coastal Development Permit condition, Design Review condition, or zoning-clearance condition may prohibit a specific material on a given site, and noncompliance is enforceable as a permit violation under LUDC Article 35.10. State-law remedies for dangerous wire are separately enforceable by the County District Attorney and by private civil action under Civil Code § 1714 (general duty of care).
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