Design Review Board issues unfavorable advisory on 12‑foot fence at 75 Clinton Street

The Saratoga Springs Design Review Board on Aug. 5 recommended that the Zoning Board of Appeals deny a variance request for a 12‑foot fence/noise barrier at 75 Clinton Street. The owner and attorney sought after‑the‑fact approval for the structure along Van Damme and Clinton streets, arguing it was a health and safety measure against heavy truck traffic.

Nick Fazioli, the homeowner who installed the barrier, described repeated truck queuing, braking and exhaust at the stoplight adjacent to his backyard and said the barrier was selected to reduce noise and pollution. "We followed every step of the way," he said, and added the barrier is a DOT‑certified noise wall designed to reduce sound exposure for his family. The applicant presented monitoring data and medical testimony to the ZBA record documenting elevated exhaust and decibel levels at the site.

Board members acknowledged the applicant's safety concerns but said a continuous 12‑foot barrier along the public corridor would be inappropriate in the city's historic districts. "Fences are not permitted to exceed 6 feet in height," the chair read from the DRB guidelines, and added that a wall of the requested height "will negatively affect the character and walkability of the neighborhood." Several members recommended pursuing other mitigation routes and emphasized the distinction between private remedies and public design standards.

The DRB voted to send an unfavorable advisory opinion to the ZBA, noting the wall as installed does not meet historic‑district fence guidance and that an island of 12‑foot screening would set a damaging precedent if routinely approved. The advisory leaves the underlying public‑safety and code enforcement debates to the ZBA and city officials; the applicant may still pursue relief from the ZBA or request subsequent administrative review if a narrower or differently sited solution is proposed.

Provenance: topicintro SEG 4925, topfinish SEG 5726.

Speakers quoted (first reference): Nick Fazioli, homeowner; Justin Grassi, attorney (applicant); Chair (Design Review Board).