By John H. Palmer
WESTPORT – The Planning and Zoning Commission Monday night approved an application that paves the way for the Fairfield County Hunt Club to construct a 22,000-square-foot indoor facility on club property at 174 Long Lots Road to house tennis and squash courts.
In a surprise move, however, neighbors of the club threatened to sue against the approval to the state superior court, alleging a partnership with developers of the Hamlet in Saugatuck.
In what otherwise was a straightforward application approval, the commission voted 6-1 to approve the new facility, with commissioner John Bolton ultimately voting against the plan as presented.
“I really struggled with this one,” said Bolton. “They are an iconic citizen and it’s private property and they have a legitimate right to develop this as they wish. But you have five of 11 homes that have some real legitimate concerns.”
Bolton was speaking about neighbors abutting the club property on Hunt Club Lane that have raised concerns about contaminated sightlines with an additional building, along with complaints about increased noise from pickleball games.
“You’re losing a sunset and a sense of open space, and there’s a premium in this town to keep open space as open space. The homeowners are being prejudiced because it changes the character of the neighborhood. At the end of the day, I don’t think it’s the right use, and I can’t support it.”
The approved plan was put on hold following an April 22 hearing until members of the Planning and Zoning Commission had a chance to tour the site during a field trip on May 2.
Neighbors say they’ll sue over alleged Hamlet resident access
In perhaps the most dramatic issue of the evening, Brendon Fields, a Hunt Club Lane resident who has claimed in previous hearings that the buildings will look “like aircraft hangars,” asked about how the proposed Hamlet development in Saugatuck will affect membership at the club. He stated that he can provide a letter from a newly formed LLC called FCHC/Hamlet Polo indicating a partnership with ROAN Ventures that would give club access to condo owners at the Hamlet, when built.
The “Hamlet at Saugatuck,” as the project is being called, will consist of a multi-use development of 11 buildings on the other side of Westport and will include retail, hotel and residential buildings between the Saugatuck River, Charles Street, Franklin Street and Railroad Place. ROAN Ventures is the development firm planning the development, currently in the review process with town government boards.
If Fields’ allegations are true, it could significantly increase membership numbers at the club, already estimated at 250-300 people. He further said neighbors have hired a lawyer and will be filing a suit with the state supreme court seeking to overturn the P&Z approval.
“I don’t believe [this project] is being funded by members, which tells me if Hamlet is approved that condo owners would have access to the racquet club,” he said.
Hunt Club attorney John Fallon, who was apparently taken by surprise by the allegations, vehemently denied the accusations that the hunt club is in partnership with ROAN.
“That is unequivocally incorrect; there is absolutely no outside partnership with any group,” he said. “Funding is being completely done by membership of the club and any comments of the kind are not correct.”
Attorney Eric Bernheim, who represents the developer, also said “the Hamlet has nothing to do with this application or the indoor courts. ROAN has no connection.”
Fields offered no other information regarding the letter or any timeline of a possible lawsuit.
Neighbor concerns addressed
Before the application was voted on – and before the lawsuit threat – commissioners heard comments from Fields and other Hunt Club Lane residents who asked that HVAC structures on the top of building be shielded, to avoid sightline infractions and noise concerns.
“There are a lot of non-answers tonight, and I don’t know how you can vote yes until there is a definitive answer,” said Hunt Club Lane resident Brendon Fields.
Hunt Club Lane resident Jon Grover asked that the building footprint be “flipped,” to put the higher end of the structure where utilities will be located away from homes to cut down on noise from air conditioning units.
“It doesn’t sound like anyone will listen to us,” he said. “I beg for some sort of concession. Meet us in the middle, please.”
After consulting with Fallon over the location of the rooftop utilities, planners agreed to require that designers wrap it with latticework, a “rooftop picket fence that makes it prettier to the eye,” and to help dampen sound, according to chairman Paul Lebowitz. In addition, the commission agreed to add text to the Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) to make sure that pickleball games will only be played indoors to keep noise to a minimum.
Site field trip impressed commissioners
After several neighbors had criticized the facility’s size, proximity to their homes and noise they fear it might generate, commissioners agreed to take a field trip to the location where dimensions and height of the proposed structure were staked out.
“It was great to see the site, but we didn’t get the promised pony rides,” quipped P&Z Vice Chairman Neil Cohn, who added that he felt the proposed buildings were symmetrical with existing buildings on the club property. “I do believe that the club has shown a lot of consideration. Not everyone is going to be thrilled with every component, but it’s well within the rights of the club, and I was satisfied with everything I saw.”
Commissioner Amy Wistreich agreed.
“I appreciate the neighbors’ concerns and I’m glad we had the chance to walk the property,” she said. “The plans are very contextual and keeps activity in the core of the club. They did a nice job with the plans, and it deals with all the concerns about noise issues that some neighbors had in the past. I think the club did a nice job.”
Long road to approval
The approved plan follows an October 2023 decision by club officials to withdraw an application to construct outdoor pickleball courts on the same site, a plan that sparked significant opposition from neighbors over the course of several P&Z public hearings.
The latest plan for an indoor racquet sports building, according to John Fallon, the hunt club’s lawyer, evolved as the result of “a journey” from the original pickleball plans. It was designed, he said, to address neighbors’ concerns about noise that swamped the earlier proposal.
Fallon outlined details of the new application for the third time Monday night for the commission, after an April 7 meeting during which his presentation was “Zoom-bombed” by hackers before he was able to finish speaking.
“The hunt club really has tried to do everything right in this case,” he told commissioners. “We are trying to serve an important priority and need for our membership. We were very careful in choosing the location as it made practical sense. We wanted to ensure there wasn’t going to be any adverse effects with neighboring properties.”
The club previously organized an informational meeting to share details of the new plan with neighbors, and Fallon said they had a “positive” reaction to the revised project. The application had previously been approved by the Conservation Commission, Flood and Erosion Control Board and Architectural Review Board.
John Palmer is editor of the Westport Journal, and a former K-12 teacher in Fairfield County schools. He has covered community news in Fairfield County and Massachusetts for over 30 years. He can be contacted at jpalmer@westportjournal.com.
Yet another appalling case of NIMBY. Get over it. There is huge upside with an indoor facility that significantly reduces the noise of pickleball, which is a valid concern. That it impacts your sight-lines…get over it. My neighbor has obnoxious bright lights on their property that are on all night. Not much I can do about it. I live with it. Kudos to the Hunt Club for finding an indoor solution.
I have several questions.
What is the FCHC hamlet LLC exactly ? If not some sort of memberships, is it for polo activities ?
Why does the “water color” artists rendering not depict the hvac equipment on top of the “hangar”. I suggest these pictures not be allowed unless they depict the good, bad, and ugly.
How frustrating for the neighbors that this will be their new view towering over them. No wonder they are going to sue.
Fallon stated at the April meeting there are 200 families, with no intention to expand membership.
Neighbors should FOIA the membership details and go back to PZ if it is not the said 200 and make sure the number once substantiated is not permitted to change and get officially capped.
Neighbors be advised to also get involved in the insulation factors within that airplane hangar, because if it is insufficient the noise is going to be potentially colossal.
Dear Hunt Club neighbors.
NIMBY doesn’t work. Just ask residents of Bauer Place, Old Orchard, and Hyde Lane. Their zen-like places of abode for the past forever are about to be terrorized by an intensification of use, the pitter patter of hundreds of cleats and chants, lights and traffic.
Actually what’s more confusing is how the 2 courts applied for originally turned into a 22,000 sq foot indoor facility.
With the assurance from Fallon that membership is not going to change, and that is recorded, I presume neighbors will make it their business to insure that promise is kept.
But I have to say squash courts etc.. none of which are there presently tells me could they might potentially be planning membership of the courts.
The investment for this facility is nothing like the investment 2 outdoor courts would have been.
If membership is paying for this then I assume they are not planning on leaving the club, therefore membership should be capped at 200 families.
Regarding the claim that there may be some connection between the Hunt Club and the Hamlet, when visiting the Hamlet website last month I was a little surprised to see a picture of some kind of equestrian event at what certainly appeared to be the Hunt Club. Below the image was some text which discussed the various amenities and activities the Hamlet intends to offer. Among these: “thrilling polo tournaments”.