Owner wins approval to legalize rear fence at 40 Earl Place in New Rochelle historic district
September 09, 2026 | New Rochelle City, Westchester County, New York
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Jody Lucena Picciardo told the Historic Landmarks Review Board that she and her husband installed a wooden rear fence at 40 Earl Place in spring 2020 to protect their children and a large rescue dog from a busy intersection and recurring speeding on nearby 5th Avenue. "My name is Jody Lucena Picciardo and I am the owner of 40 Earl Place along with my husband Diego Picciardo who is present in the audience," she said as part of a detailed presentation on materials, context and safety reasons.
Picciardo described steps taken after the board's June review: growing hedges along the driveway, planting five Skip Laurel bushes to provide year-round screening, and integrating the fence with the home's restored porch and siding. She also said the Board of Appeals on Zoning granted an area-variance on May 5, 2026. "On 05/05/2026, the Board of Appeals on Zoning unanimously granted the area variance to legalize our fence," Picciardo told the board.
Board members questioned fence and gate heights, sight lines at the corner and whether additional shrubs could better obscure the fence while preserving the home's primary facade. The applicant and her husband explained the hedges' growth rate and placement choices. After discussion the board's chair moved to "present it for a Certificate of Appropriateness as presented" and a second was recorded; the motion passed.
Why it matters: The decision balances the HLRB's historic-preservation standards under chapter 170 of the New Rochelle Municipal Code against documented safety concerns and a prior zoning-board variance. The applicant committed to additional plantings and to adjust stain color if the board prefers, and the board recorded that the fence sits well back from the primary facade and is integrated with new landscaping.
Next steps: The certificate was approved at the hearing; the applicant said she welcomes any follow-up questions and will coordinate with staff if the board asks for minor adjustments.
Picciardo described steps taken after the board's June review: growing hedges along the driveway, planting five Skip Laurel bushes to provide year-round screening, and integrating the fence with the home's restored porch and siding. She also said the Board of Appeals on Zoning granted an area-variance on May 5, 2026. "On 05/05/2026, the Board of Appeals on Zoning unanimously granted the area variance to legalize our fence," Picciardo told the board.
Board members questioned fence and gate heights, sight lines at the corner and whether additional shrubs could better obscure the fence while preserving the home's primary facade. The applicant and her husband explained the hedges' growth rate and placement choices. After discussion the board's chair moved to "present it for a Certificate of Appropriateness as presented" and a second was recorded; the motion passed.
Why it matters: The decision balances the HLRB's historic-preservation standards under chapter 170 of the New Rochelle Municipal Code against documented safety concerns and a prior zoning-board variance. The applicant committed to additional plantings and to adjust stain color if the board prefers, and the board recorded that the fence sits well back from the primary facade and is integrated with new landscaping.
Next steps: The certificate was approved at the hearing; the applicant said she welcomes any follow-up questions and will coordinate with staff if the board asks for minor adjustments.
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