On Monday, Nov. 27, the Lake Club returned to the Planning and Zoning Commission nearly seven months after a public hearing brought attention to the increasingly tense relationship between the Club and its residential neighbors — many of whom are themselves active members.
Located at 175 Thayer Pond Rd., the Lake Club operates with a special permit that allows private membership recreation clubs to be located within a residential neighborhood, provided that they do not impact the surrounding area more than a typical residential development would. Earlier this year, the Club applied to convert one of its existing tennis courts into four dedicated pickleball courts, which will include changing the surface material to the hard-court paving typical for the sport.
Pickleball has grown enormously in popularity in recent years and is now the fastest growing sport in America. In June, The New York Times published a story on rising noise concerns about the sport, due to the particularly high-pitched “popping” sound it produces.
Back in May, the Commission asked for further sound analysis and challenged the Club about why it had failed to better communicate with neighbors ahead of submitting the application. Returning to the Commission with a resubmitted application, the Lake Club offered two new concessions in light of neighbor concerns, presented by attorney Casey Healy:
- 12-ft fencing with acoustical panels will be installed on two of the four sides of the proposed courts.
- Pickleball play would be restricted to “daylight hours” or no longer than 8:00 am to 8:30 pm, depending on the season. Attorney Kathleen Royle, also representing the Lake Club, confirmed that the courts do not have lights.
Healy reiterated that the estimated sound impact of pickleball on neighboring properties complies Wilton’s noise regulations. However, this finding and the concessions seemed to do little to convince either neighbors or the Commissioners that the Lake Club was making a serious attempt to respond to sound concerns.
Commissioner Chris Pagliaro called the offer ‘cold,’ and said, “After all this time, we basically got a plan that says we’ll put a fence and acoustical panels on two of the walls. It doesn’t feel like the Club is trying to be particularly neighborly, it feels like you’re just trying to check a box.”
A group of nine neighbors, many of whom testified back in May, returned to speak out against the project once again, this time bringing an attorney and an independent sound analysis to back up their case.
The informal coalition made several claims objecting to the application and in some cases, asserting that regardless of pickleball, the Lake Club is already out of compliance with its existing permit:
- Attorney Wilson Carroll, representing resident Ed Rowley, said that “pickleball is fundamentally incompatible with residential neighborhoods,” and argued that the Lake Club’s activity levels are already in excess of permitted residential uses.
- Ed Rowley himself presented a powerpoint on the unique sound qualities of pickleball and widespread community objection to the sport, which is excerpted below.
- Greg Maroney explained that he had indeed been bothered by the sound of the two pickleball tournaments held over the summer, in response to claims by Healy that the Club never received noise complaints in the past. “Am I just supposed to complain every time something annoys me?” Maroney asked. “To who — the police? That’s not a neighborhood. That’s not what I want to do.”
- Several neighbors testified that they had never been contacted by the Lake Club about the pickleball court proposal.
- In addition to the topic of pickleball, neighbors alleged an ongoing issue of noise creep in recent years, citing early morning leaf-blowing and late-night parties featuring DJs and outdoor movie screenings in particular.
The Commission agreed to continue the hearing and add it to the agenda for the Dec. 11 meeting. Healy said that the sound consultant representing the Lake Club would be available to answers questions from the Commission and neighbors at that time.
Remaining Master Plan Regulations (and More) Approved
Elsewhere that evening, the new zoning overlays for Danbury Rd. near Wilton Center passed unanimously following a public hearing in which only one member of the public requested to speak. Kelly Morron asked for clarification on whether St. Mathew’s Cemetery falls within the East overlay zone, which it does.
The new overlays will allow development up to three stories on the east side of Danbury Rd. in the area south of Wilton Center, and up to four stories on the west. More detail on the areas affected can be found in GMW’s past coverage. With the addition of these two new overlays, there are now 11 sets of zoning rules operating in the 0.68 square mile area designated as Greater Wilton Center.
Chair Rick Tomasetti, who also chaired the subcommittee that spearheaded the master plan and resulting zoning regulation changes, recused himself from the vote and did not participate in the Nov. 27 meeting. Vice Chair Melissa-Jean Rotini chaired the meeting in his absence.
The Commission also voted to approve three items that appeared in the Communications/Discussion section of the agenda, a move that seemed unusual to Rotini, who asked Town Planner Michael Wrinn for clarification that a vote could be held “from this place in the agenda.” He confirmed that it could, and so the Commission went on to unanimously approve the following:
- A zoning text amendment and special permit allowing ASML employees working at the 77 Danbury Rd. facility to use overflow parking at the company’s 20 Westport Rd. property; and
- A special permit approving a three-season patio at Cactus Rose restaurant in Wilton Center.
Looking Ahead
New zoning regulations on childcare facilities and electric vehicle charging stations are also in the works, in light of recent state requirements.
The next meeting of the Planning & Zoning Commission is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 11. This will also be the first meeting of the new Commission, which will now include Commissioner-elect Anthony Cenatiempo. He replaces Commissioner Matthew Murphy, who is stepping down. The Commissioners thanked Murphy for his service to the town before concluding the meeting.
Disclosure: GOOD Morning Wilton’s editor is a member of the Lake Club.