Neighbors dissatisfied with Wake Robin study

Wake Robin Inn is located on Sharon Road in Lakeville.
Photo by John Coston

LAKEVILLE — Sound was the focus in the Planning and Zoning Zoom room last week, which aired for nearly five hours across two more sessions of the public hearing on the proposed Wake Robin Inn expansion.
On Tuesday, Aug. 12, and Thursday, Aug. 14, the Planning and Zoning Commission held special meetings to continue the hearing, but with the express purpose of addressing potential noise pollution resulting from the proposed redevelopment. Concerns about sound – music, party sounds, car doors, and construction clamor, among other potentially “nuisance” noise-makers — have been among the most widespread of the complaints against the project since Aradev LLC submitted its first application to P&Z last fall.
During the Aug. 12 meeting, the Commission brought in acoustics expert Herb Singleton of Springfield, Massachusetts-based sound engineering firm Cross-Spectrum Acoustics to present his third-party review findings of a study commissioned by Aradev as part of their revised application this spring. Singleton was largely approving of the study, conducted by Sudbury, Massachusetts-based outfit Cavanaugh Tocci Associates, lauding the study’s data-collecting methods as “tilting the analysis towards protecting the community.”
Specifically, he referred to Cavanaugh Tocci’s study period, which spanned late February through early March of this year, as a season with lower background noise levels due to reduced bird and insect sounds, thus producing conservative results. He also complimented the group’s decision to perform a “more than adequate” number of measurements from locations on the property that are likely to receive more sound impacts than its fringes.
The core of each study was to estimate whether the noise produced by the development would create a “nuisance” for the surrounding community, as outlined in the town’s zoning regulation 803.2 for special permit: “the use shall not create a nuisance to neighboring properties whether by noise, air, or water pollution; offensive odors, dust, smoke, vibrations, lighting, or other effects.”
Despite some methodological suggestions for analyzing sound impacts, Singleton’s assessment agreed with the Cavanaugh Tocci study’s findings: that the redeveloped Inn — whether by music, traffic or other potentially disruptive sound sources — would not create nuisance-level noise pollution.
The neighbors disagreed. “Lakeville is not Ibiza,” said Wells Hill Road resident Aimee Bell, who was the first to speak during the public comment section of Tuesday’s meeting. The reference to the Spanish island, which is famed for parties that span multiple days, was borne from concern about Aradev’s announcement of all-day, low-level music at the Inn’s proposed seasonal outdoor pool earlier. The proposed pool music became a topic of concern for many residents who spoke over the course of both meetings.
“Rural communities such as Lakeville are fragile ecosystems,” Bell continued, arguing that the Inn’s presence in the neighborhood would disrupt its peace.
Bill Cruger, who is a plaintiff in a pending lawsuit against P&Z in protest of a May 2024 zoning change, said that Section 800 of the town’s zoning regulations is expressly intended to “protect the abutters and neighbors” from noise beyond what they are used to on their property.
At the Thursday meeting, Barbara Hockstader, John Franchini and Greg Wilmore emphasized that a petition against the development, which had gathered 461 signatures as of that date, is clear evidence that the village feels the project will indeed be a nuisance.
It is the role of the P&Z to ultimately determine whether or not a proposal will create a nuisance for the community. “Yes, nuisance is subjective,” said P&Z Chair Michael Klemens in response to an earlier question from Julie Norwell as to how to define the vague term.
The hearing was continued to Tuesday, Aug. 19, and is set to close on Sept. 9 unless a further extension is granted.
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Students dressed in neon lined the soccer field for senior night under the lights on Thursday, Oct. 16. The game against Lakeview was the last in a series of competitions Thursday night in celebration of Homecoming 2025.
As homecoming week reaches its end and fall sports finish out the season, an air of school spirit and student participation seems to be on the rise across Housatonic Valley Regional High School.
But what can be attributed to this sudden peak of student interest? That’s largely due to SGA. Also known as the Student Government Association, SGA has dedicated itself to creating events to bring the entire student body together. This year, they decided to change some traditions.
Spirit week from Oct. 14-17 was unlike those of the previous years. From wearing Housatonic merch to Boomer vs Baby day, this year’s spirit week held a little friendly competition to see which grade could participate the most.
“I think that students are bored of the same old activities and events, so it’s good to switch things up even slightly to incentivize interest within students,” said SGA president and senior Mollie Ford. “Plus the point system is super beneficial because it gives students a reason to participate.”
The school spirit sentiment can be seen outside of just the school. Senior Simon Markow is known for his photography throughout the community, and has dedicated time to help Housy sports teams’ social media posts.
“Since I’ve started photography, I think school attendance [at sports games] has gone up,” Markow said. “I feel this year, students will be more aware of games and are more likely to be at the games.”
Whether it’s a pink-out volleyball game or an under the lights soccer match, it’s likely you’ll see some familiar faces.
Social media has played a large role in this over the years. Almost every student organization at Housatonic has an Instagram account, and it’s helped reach students more efficiently than a poster or email would.
“The increase of social media use, with the help from me but as well as the teams themselves has definitely increased student interest,” Markow said. “With Housy teams posting more about their upcoming games, and my help showing the cool goals, spikes, or touchdowns, it’s enlightened students to watch the games themselves.”
In a small school, promoting pride has proven to be a challenge. But this year’s senior class has made some adjustments in the hopes to change that.
“The SGA community has spent the last few years really focusing on student participation, because we think it’s the students who contribute to a better climate,” Ford said. While Housatonic’s student body may be small in size, it seems they certainly aren’t small in spirit.
The weekend of Homecoming at HVRHS was packed with events including rival games under the lights, senior night, and a new take on Homecoming that moves it outside — and it wouldn’t have been possible without the students of Housatonic.
Orchestrating was no easy feat, especially considering much of the work was left up to the students.
Historically, HVRHS has hosted night games for boys and girls soccer and the GNH football team, but when members of the soccer team asked the athletic director, Anne MacNeil, she left it up to the students to acquire the lights necessary to host a night game.
“I said, ‘Hey, if you can find the lights, we can make it happen,’” MacNeil said. “I usually take control of it, but I really wanted to have the teams have the initiative and take responsibility for it. I think by having them do that, they have a lot more invested in it.”
Finding lights for the game was a challenge in and of itself, and it fell on the students, parents, and alumni to come together if there was to be a night game at all.
Luckily for the players, Patricia and Dino Labbadia, parents of senior Anthony Labaddia, were able to amass the support of the community and get all the necessary equipment donated for the night game.
“We’re fortunate with our communities. Our parents know people in communities and they were able to ask… [and] find the resources,” MacNeil said. “We’ve got a great senior group and senior parent group who have really taken charge … and really made the whole season possible.”
In the end, the night came together spectacularly, and the senior ceremonies, rivalry games, and nighttime fixtures made for a memorable night on the day before Homecoming.
The action began at 4 p.m. Thursday, when the JV Girls Volleyball team played rivals Lakeview High School at home.
At 4:30, the middle school boys soccer team as well as the cross country team faced Northwestern at Housatonic’s lower field and cross country course respectively. Also at 4:30, the JV boys soccer team took on rival Lakeview at Housatonic’s upper field.
At 5:15, the girls varsity volleyball team honored their seniors at Housatonic’s Senior Night ceremony, including captains Katie Crane and Victoria Brooks, before an intense match against Lakeview.
At 6:15, the boys varsity soccer team honored their seniors, including captains Everet Belancik and Abram Kirshner, before kicking off under the lights at Housatonic’s upper field against the Bobcats.
Friday night changes
Typically, Homecoming is hosted in the cafeteria with a DJ and the entire room open as a dance floor. Dancing is the main event, with a small photo op stationed next to one of the exits.
The typical formal dance filled with LED lights and glitter looked a bit different this year. For the HVRHS 2025 Homecoming, the activities all took place outside. There was a large bonfire for students to hang around, a tented area perfect for dancing, and lawn games to play.
The inspiration for this change comes from the Homecoming hosted during the COVID-19 social distancing restrictions put into place at the time. Senior class President Madison Graney said “Other years passed, graduating classes really enjoyed it and we wanted to give it a try.”
Although the theme of Homecoming remains the same, new tasks came in preparation for the event. Including the Bonfire “adds a whole new component,” Graney said. “[We] have to contact the fire department to ensure that the bonfire is being contained.” Hosting the dance outside also demanded “more preparation the day before … set up the tents and make sure it’s a safe and fun space for everyone to enjoy.”
Opinions about Homecoming’s new look vary amongst the student body, with some excited for change and others comfortable with the familiarity of an inside dance. Alexa Meach, an HVRHS senior, expressed that “Everyone that I’ve talked to’s plan is to get dressed up, take photos, and then change into more comfortable clothes because it’s going to be freezing. I feel like we could have had a different event for the bonfire. I think they could have been two separate events.”
Graney said the change is “A really great way to change up the tradition ... [and] another good way to get to know your peers and your teachers and interact with the student body all at once.”