Sunnyvale Board of Adjustment affirms staff denial of fence permit at 417 Sundance Trail

The Sunnyvale Board of Adjustment on Aug. 4 upheld a staff denial of a building permit for an 8-foot wooden fence at 417 Sundance Trail, saying the town's Development Services director had authority to treat the south and west sides of the property as front yards and to consider a nearby pedestrian-access easement adjacent open space for the town's fence-visibility rules.

The decision followed a public hearing and an executive session. The board's motion, made by the chair and seconded, found the director had authority under the town's Unified Development Ordinance and confirmed staff's interpretation that the property lines along Sundance Trail and Stoney Creek Boulevard should be treated as front yards for fence-height and visibility standards. The motion passed unanimously, with all members present voting in favor.

Why it matters: The case turned on how the Sunnyvale Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) defines front yards on a corner lot and how the town interprets a 22-foot PAUDE (pedestrian access, utility and drainage easement) and a dedicated open-space lot adjoining the subject…