By John Schwing

WESTPORT — ’Tis the season for “trimming” … trimming the Christmas tree, a big holiday dinner with all the trimmings.

And a little “trimming” brightened the holiday season for the Westport Police Athletic League as a plan to replace its 87-year-old clubhouse won approval this week from the Architectural Review Board — trimmed a bit, here and there, from an original design the panel declined to sign off on a month earlier.

The new PAL Clubhouse, proposed to replace its existing circa-1936 building next to P.J. Romano Field at 170 Riverside Ave., had already won a positive 8-24 report from the Planning and Zoning Commission and approval from the Public Site and Building Commission when it was submitted for the ARB’s review in late November.

But the design of the proposed two-story structure, which would house an observation area, a concession, offices and storage, prompted a series of questions from ARB members.

Several members commented the building appeared somewhat “incongruent” for the site and its purpose.

Ward French, the board chairman, summed up the panel’s reluctance to approve the initial design, telling the applicant, “I think if you cleaned it up just a little bit, made it a little less interesting and more suited to the purpose, you’d have something that would be a lot easier to approve.”

And, based on board members’ reaction to the tweaked design presented at Tuesday’s brief meeting, it was easy to approve indeed.

Brian Godard, an associate with Beinfield Architecture, detailed changes from the original design, which he said were made in response to the board members’ previous comments.

He explained the “patterning” of windows was revised to eliminate the “distinct differential” between the first and second floors of the new structure.

Revisions also included elimination of the “PAL Clubhouse” name from the front of the building and the trimming around windows and doors was redesigned “so they all have the same look,” Godard said. Trim around the entrance door also was reduced in size, he added.

Board members, whose questions last month sent the project back to the drawing board, this time had virtually no questions and a completely positive reaction.

“I think it looks much better than it did before,” French said. “It’s much simpler, cleaner … it’s overall more successful.”

Member Jon Halper agreed. “Thank you for making those changes,” he told the applicant. “I’m much more comfortable with this now.”

And member Vesna Herman made three, as the board quickly delivered unanimous backing for the revised clubhouse design.

Adding to the spirit of harmony, Anna Rycenga of Landtech, representing Westport PAL’s application, thanked the board and wished its members “a happy, safe and healthy holiday.”

John Schwing, the Westport Journal consulting editor, has held senior editorial and writing posts at southwestern Connecticut media outlets for four decades. Learn more about us here.