Wake Robin Inn developers to revise plan before reapplying

LAKEVILLE — Representatives of Aradev LLC, the developer behind the proposed Wake Robin Inn expansion, returned to the Zoom room for the Jan. 21 meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission to discuss preapplication details.

The meeting marked the firm’s first reappearance since withdrawing an application in December after six rounds of contentious public hearings.

After closing the hearings, which saw neighbors air concerns about noise, traffic, sewer capacity, and the general inappropriateness of the development in the residential neighborhood, P&Z met to deliberate the application before voting on a decision. During that Dec. 12 meeting, four out of five members said they would likely deny the application in a vote, prompting Aradev to withdraw before the Commission had a chance to issue a denial.

At the Jan. 21 meeting, Aradev attorney Josh Mackey sought guidance from the Commission on how best to amend their application so that it has a better chance of approval upon resubmission. P&Z Chair Michael Klemens noted that since this was a preapplication discussion, nothing stated during the session would be binding on either the applicant or P&Z.

Klemens highlighted the cluster of cottages along Wells Hill Road as incongruent with the neighborhood, while also drawing attention to the lack of hard data on proposed sound levels in the first application. He and other P&Z members further stated that the resubmitted application would need written approval from the Water Pollution Control Authority that the town’s sewer could handle the increased capacity from the development.

Commissioner Alan Cockerline called for “measurable objective sound transmission data” from sound experts if the applicant was to resubmit. “I’m still a believer that you can control a lot of this sound,” Cockerline said. He explained that the Commission would need specific numbers to assess if the projected sound levels, particularly those emitted from the proposed event barn, would be appropriate for the development.

Cockerline questioned the “intensity of the development” in the RR1 residential zone, stating that “something had got to give.” Like Klemens, he suggested the cottages should be scaled back dramatically, if not removed altogether.

P&Z Vice Chair Cathy Shyer raised concerns over increased traffic at the intersection of the entrance to the hotel and Sharon Road. She stated that the winding and narrow nature of the roadway paired with its use by pedestrians, many of whom are students at the nearby Hotchkiss School, presents a potentially dangerous situation with higher vehicle density.

She suggested that the applicant explain how risky conditions along Sharon Road may be mitigated by the project: “Sightline improvement would really help this application,” she said.

Shyer agreed with Klemens and Cockerline that a new application should ease the intensity of development. “The overall size and scale of the project is too big for that spot,” she said.