The Rome Zoning Board of Appeals on Oct. 1 approved an area variance allowing an 8-foot-high wooden fence at 6866 South James Street.

The variance increases the allowed rear-yard fence height from 72 inches to 96 inches in an RR zone under Rome zoning code Section 80-13.2. The applicant, Joseph Sklach, told the board he seeks the taller fence to restore privacy after cedar hedges along the side yard were damaged in a storm and to gain additional usable backyard space.

Board members heard no public comment and accepted a memo from the United County Department of Planning, dated Sept. 11, 2025, that offered no recommendation. The board reviewed the five statutory variance standards read into the record by the presiding member and then voted 5-0 in favor of the variance. Members voting in favor included Raymond Tucker, Joe Pasqualetti, Jim DeCastro and John Mangilino; the board announcement recorded each as supporting approval.

During the hearing, Sklach described the proposed work as a solid, wood, horizontal fence with driven posts to minimize ground excavation and said the fence would run roughly 22 feet facing the road and about 145 feet along the left property line, with a gated opening near the house. He told the board the new fence would add roughly 20 feet of usable backyard where the hedge had been. No neighbors spoke during the public-comment period.

The board’s approval was accompanied by a standard permitting reminder: Sklach was told to consult Mark Domenico of the Codes Enforcement Office to confirm building-permit requirements before starting work. No conditions, amendments or vote tallies beyond the unanimous approval were recorded on the record.

The variance allows the property owner to install the taller fence, subject to any building and permitting requirements enforced by the Codes Enforcement Office.