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Wappingers Falls zoning board grants homeowner variance to install 6-foot front-yard fence
Summary
The Wappingers Falls Zoning Board of Appeals voted unanimously to grant Paul R. P. Caracundo an area variance to install a 6-foot front-yard fence at 1946 Route 9D, citing child safety after a site visit and measurement; staff will follow up on permit paperwork.
The Wappingers Falls Zoning Board of Appeals voted unanimously on March 24, 2029, to grant an area variance allowing homeowner Paul R. P. Caracundo to install a 6-foot fence in his front yard at 1946 Route 9D. The property is in the R-40A zoning district, where Section 240-37 limits front-yard fences to 4 feet.
Caracundo told the board he sought the variance for noise mitigation and, primarily, the safety of his two young children, ages three and four, saying one child is on the autism spectrum and “doesn’t understand danger, so definitely this will help us … have a peace of mind.” The board said members had visited the property, measured the proposed placement at roughly 50 to 52 feet from the front of the house, and discussed moving the fence behind an existing tree; the applicant agreed to that placement.
During deliberations, a board member moved to grant the variance, noting the request was substantial and self-created but concluding the need for immediate safety outweighed the preference against 6-foot front-yard fences in the district. A second was recorded and the board took a roll-call vote: Mr. Della Corte, Mr. Hernandez, Mr. Barr, Mr. Donado and Mr. Lorenzini voted yes. The chair announced the variance granted and told the applicant that town staff would contact him within a few days about permit paperwork and next steps.
The transcript contains a potentially conflicting remark after the vote in which a board member said, “to be clear, we granted the 10 ft,” even though the record of the hearing shows the applicant requested a 6-foot fence. That discrepancy will need to be resolved by town staff when issuing the permit or in the written resolution.
No members of the public spoke for or against the request during the public comment period. With business completed the board adjourned.
What happens next: Town staff will process the permit paperwork and clarify the approved setback/height in official documentation; the board did not set additional conditions on the variance at the meeting.
