Residents unwavering in opposition to revised Wake Robin expansion as lawsuit hangs overhead

LAKEVILLE — The public hearing for the revised and resubmitted application to expand the Wake Robin Inn on Wells Hill Road kicked off on Tuesday, Aug. 5, in familiarly contentious style.

The applicant, Aradev LLC, faces more than just neighborly outcries during this cycle.

A pending lawsuit against the Planning and Zoning Commission, filed by Wells Hill Road residents Angela and William Cruger, seeks to inhibit the Commission’s ability to review applications pertaining to a May 2024 zoning regulation change that allows for hotel development in the Rural Residential 1 zone. The Wake Robin Inn is positioned within this zone, meaning the fate of the proposed redevelopment hangs in the balance as the court reviews the litigation.

P&Z Chair Michael Klemens reported that Superior Court’s schedule for the case, which is available for public viewing along with the other application-related materials on the P&Z webpage, anticipates a possible decision by the end of the year, though there is no guarantee.

Klemens opened the evening’s proceedings with a lengthy speech explaining the precarious state of affairs that surrounds Aradev’s resubmitted proposal. He stressed that the Aradev “proceeds at their own risk; that if the Crugers are successful in their appeal, any approval rendered by the Planning and Zoning Commission will be vacated.”

Klemens directly asked Aradev’s attorney, Josh Mackey, whether the applicant understood the risk. “There’s a disagreement, I think, on that proposition,” he said, but didn’t elaborate further.

Legal uncertainties aside, Aradev adopted a decidedly open approach in presenting its revised application. Steven Cohen, half of Aradev alongside partner Jonathan Marrale, introduced the presentation with “About the Applicant” and “Development Team” slides introducing the LLC and its project partners, and explained the firm’s interest in the Inn stems from and appreciation of Lakeville’s rural character.

The application details were outlined largely by landscape architect Mark Arigoni of SLR Consulting who similarly steered most of Aradev’s hearing appearances in 2024.

The plans call for a reduction in auxiliary cabins from 12 to four, though the new cabins have been scaled up to 2,000 square feet each.

The previously proposed “event barn,” which was the subject of many complaints from residents and P&Z alike, has been moved to be contiguous with the main Inn building as opposed to its previous position as a free-standing structure. A sit-down restaurant and fast-casual counter are still included in the plans, set to be housed in the central Inn structure.

These amenities, as well as a library and lounge space, are planned to be open to the public, while a gym and seasonal pool are not. The spa will be publicly open on a reservation basis but will be limited capacity and guests will get priority.

Arigoni said that a new architectural firm had been sought to help the redevelopment blend in with both the natural environment and the “white siding, metal roofs” aesthetic of the area.

Cohen said that the changes were made to reduce the “scale and impact” of development, responding to complaints from the Commission and residents during the 2024 hearing process. He also recalled the Inn’s historic status as a community hub and said that a primary motivation of the project is to “bring it back to what it used to be.”

Residents expressed opposition during public comment.

Greg Wilmore countered that he saw “no material change in the application’s intensity.”

Elyse Harney, Salisbury resident since 1963, argued that the development would be “too large for the infrastructure of the town of Salisbury.”

Laurie Fendrich felt that the neighborhood’s wellbeing should be the main consideration: “We are not just Salisbury, we are Lakeville. And we are tiny.”

Just one member of the public spoke in favor of the project. Ryan Diamond said that he hoped the project might bring new life into town, complaining that restaurants empty by 8 p.m. and that the town currently offers little for younger residents. He urged the other residents in attendance to think “about the future of the town.”

The hearing was continued to Tuesday, Aug. 12, at 6:30 p.m. where a third-party sound pollution review commissioned by P&Z was set to feature centrally in the discussion.