Currently, the town can allow private clubs to be opened in residentially zoned areas. But a proposal for a new private skating club that has some residents concerned about “traffic, noise, lights and environmental stress” has prompted a petition to remove private clubs from the list of special permits, and interest in the issue has postponed a public hearing so it can be moved to a larger venue.
A public hearing on whether “private clubs” should be allowed in residential neighborhoods has been scheduled by the Planning and Zoning Commission of Ridgefield, Conn. for September 19th, The Ridgefield Press reported.
The hearing will allow comment on the proposal by a Ridgefield resident, Bud Brown, to open a new private skating club on the site of a former nursery in the town. The Ridgefield Winter Club has been described by Brown as a “strong, family-focused premier facility that [will continue] to position our town as a desirable place for families for years to come.”
But a group opposed to the proposal, the Peacable Neigbors Alliance (the new club would be located on Peaceable Street in Ridgefield), has raised objections to the “traffic, noise, lights, and environmental stress” that it feels the new club would bring to the area, The Press reported. As part of its opposition, the Alliance has petitioned the Planning and Zoning Commission to have the term “private clubs” removed from the list of acceptable special permits that the town can now grant to developers looking to build in residentially zoned areas.
The Commission’s public hearing on the issue was originally scheduled to be held on September 5th, The Press reported, but was then moved back two weeks and to a larger venue (the East Ridge Middle School auditorium, instead of the Commission’s normal meeting location in the Ridgefield Town Hall Annex), to account for the number of people wanting to attend the hearing
“Everyone should have a chance to speak,” Adam Schnell, Assistant Town Planner, told The Press.
“Whether or not the Commission agrees to remove private clubs from permitted uses with a special permit in residential zones, we hope to at least come out of this issue with a specific definition of what types of private clubs should be permitted in residential zones,” Jeff Hansen, who with his wife Jenn formed the Peacable Neighbors Alliance, told The Press.
“We can’t leave the door open for entities like skate clubs, Costco’s and gym clubs,” Hansen added. “We have much more suitable commercial land for all of those businesses.”
Hansen also argued that the potential cost of having the Winter Club fail financially is too great.
“Mr. Brown would inevitably have to ask the town to extend the scope of the enterprise to something unpalatable,” he told The Press. “Or, the club would go out of business and leave a ruined neighborhood in its wake.”
The Alliance has attracted support from community groups outside the Peaceable Street neighborhood, The Press reported, and from a local realtor, Chip Neumann.
“Most Fairfield County home buyers make significant financial investments in their homes,” Neumann told The Press. “Prospective home buyers may view Ridgefield as a less attractive option if the residential-zoned property next door or nearby can become a commercial business.”
In a letter published in The Press, resident Linda Bauer wrote, “The privileged members will have access to a private club at the expense of the residents living on Peaceable Street and [the surrounding area]. Since there are 25,000 residents living in Ridgefield and this private club is for only 275 members, how is this for the community?”
At the same time, The Press reported, a Facebook page called “Support the Ridgefield Winter Club Proposal” has garnered nearly 450 “likes.”
“Given the community support we’ve already received, we look forward to adding the Ridgefield Winter Club to all that our town has to offer,” Brown told The Press.
Opposition groups have also raised questions about the proposed club’s impact on water usage, with Hansen of the Peacable Neighbors Alliance contending that it would use far more than the estimated 3,500 gallons of water per day, The Press reported.
When asked about the water issue, Richard Baldelli, Director of Ridgefield’s Planning and Zoning Commission, told The Press that he “can’t comment on a plan that’s not here.”
“Certainly, we’ll review the engineering plans once they are submitted to [the Commission],” Baldelli added.
Tell Us What You Think!
You must be logged in to post a comment.