Board of Adjustment Unanimously Denies Pierre Van Wayenberge's Revised Fence Variance at 276 Ridgewood Avenue

Pierre Van Wayenberge returned to Glen Ridge's Board of Adjustment on December 9, 2021 with a scaled-back version of his fence application for 276 Ridgewood Avenue along Rudd Court, reducing his request from a six-foot to a four-foot solid wood fence topped with a one-foot lattice section, with 45-degree angled ends to preserve a neighbor's driveway sightline. Van Wayenberge testified the fence was primarily about beautification and privacy, and cited past trespassing as a safety concern, though he said no additional plantings were planned. Board members, including Vice Chair Bergmanson, questioned the fence's placement relative to the property line, while Chair Mahoney asked about its color, which Van Wayenberge said would match the home's window trim.

During public comment, neighbor Ms. Zazzali of 14 Rudd Court testified she did not believe the applicant had shown a hardship or that a five-foot fence would provide any public benefit. Mr. Johnson explained the board must find both a hardship tied to the property and that granting the variance would advance the purposes of zoning. In board discussion, Bergmanson said he doubted the ordinance's framers anticipated large corner lots like this one dominating a secondary front yard along Ridgewood Avenue, and that the trespassing concern was a public-safety rather than zoning issue; Mahoney said he did not see how the fence would advance zoning purposes; Ms. Berger said she appreciated the aesthetic goal but felt trespassing could be addressed other ways; and Mr. Johnson suggested the ordinance itself might need updating to allow taller fences with additional setbacks. The board voted unanimously, 7-0, to deny the application, with Mahoney, Bergmanson, Berger, Johnson, Seeman, Sprong, and Payne all voting to deny. The board also adopted its November 11, 2021 minutes, with Ms. Berger and Mr. Johnson abstaining.