Irondequoit Zoning Board of Appeals approves fence variances, chicken permits and a deck variance

The Irondequoit Zoning Board of Appeals on Tuesday approved multiple variances and special-use permits after applicant presentations and public comment, voting unanimously on each matter with four members present.

The board granted a variance for a six-foot front-yard fence at 7 Perrin Drive but limited the front-facing portions to four feet of solid fence topped by two feet of lattice or an open weave; a six-foot solid fence was allowed on the west side near the neighbor who complained of late-night activity. "If we approve a 6 foot solid fence on the west side, then on the south side ... it would be 4 feet with lattice on top," the chair told the room during deliberations. The applicants had argued the taller fence was needed to keep dogs and children safe and to block recurrent drug-related activity at a neighboring rental.

The board approved special-use permits for two backyard chicken applicants at 100 Eaton Road and 150 Timrod Drive under town code Chapter 235-70, but imposed standard conditions: permits limited to six hens, no roosters, secure coops with at least a two-foot buried or surface perimeter protection, annual inspections, proper storage of feed and a building permit for coop/run construction. The Timrod applicants were permitted to keep an existing seventh hen until it dies but may not replace it. "We currently do have 6 hens," an applicant said during the hearing; the board responded that the town customarily limits permits to six for five-year terms.

The board also approved a small lot-coverage variance at 114 Hurstbourne Road to build a platform deck that exceeds allowable coverage by about 2.7 percent (approximately 156 square feet). The homeowners told the board drainage and clay soils made a paver patio impractical. The board found the modest increase would not change neighborhood character and approved the variance with the usual building-permit oversight.

Finally, the board revisited a previously discussed application for a new variance at 397 Rock Beach Road and granted approval, noting the property had been staked and that drainage issues noted on the site must be addressed during the building-permit process. The chair clarified earlier in the hearing that "it's not an extension. It's a new variance because the previous variance that we granted expired." The approval incorporated the board's December 2024 findings and required permit-level drainage remediation.

Votes at a glance - ZB2026.07.01 (7 Perrin Drive): variance approved, conditions on fence design; vote 4–0. - ZB2026.07.02 (100 Eaton Road): special-use permit for hens approved with conditions (limit 6 hens; no replacements for 5 years); vote 4–0. - ZB2026.07.03 (150 Timrod Drive): special-use permit approved, applicant allowed to keep an existing seventh hen until it dies but not replace it; vote 4–0. - ZB2026.07.04 (2523/2543 Saint Paul Blvd): fence variance approved with guidance to soften appearance; vote 4–0. - ZB2026.07.05 (114 Hurstbourne Road): deck lot-coverage variance approved (~156 sq ft over limit); vote 4–0. - ZB2026.05.05 (397 Rock Beach Road): variance approved, subject to building-permit drainage remediation; vote 4–0.

What happened in the meeting Applicants for each case presented site plans, evidence of neighborhood support and, in some cases, mitigation measures. In the Perrin Drive case the applicant said repeated police calls and on‑site observations justified a taller fence for safety and containment; neighbors and the board focused on visual impacts along the street and the board fashioned a compromise to limit solid fencing where it fronts the road.

For the chicken permits the board relied on established local conditions: a five-year permit term, no roosters, secure coops and storage, and limited replacement of birds. Several neighbors offered letters of support read into the record by the chair; one neighbor said the owners "are excellent neighbors, excellent family, and very good parents."

Next steps Approvals that require construction or permit review — fences, coops, decks, drainage work — are subject to building-permit review and any inspections required by town code. Several approvals included express conditions that applicants obtain necessary permits and comply with inspection and setback requirements.

The board adjourned at the close of the agenda.