Ridgefield golf firm pulls driving range plan, promises larger building

The Golf Performance Center has withdrawn its application for a public driving range in Ridgefield. The company plans to return to the Planning and Zoning Commission with a proposal for a large building containing additional golf facilities.

Attorney Robert Jewell, who represents property owner Roger Knick and EAP Property LLC, notified the commission of the withdrawal in a letter sent Friday. He explained that the project evolved from a minimal site disturbance into a construction project due to modifications required during the application process. Jewell stated that the team will use the next month to retool their plans.

"What started as a low-key use that involved minimal site disturbance and few improvements grew into an actual construction project, not because of anything the applicant wanted or intended but merely because we did what every responsible applicant does," Jewell wrote. "We modified the plans during the application process based primarily on the concerns expressed by the neighbors during the public hearing."

Jewell told CT Insider that the next application will propose a building filled with golf facilities. He described the withdrawn plan as "low-key, almost non-development" and indicated the new proposal will be much more intense.

The driving range was planned for a 3.19-acre vacant lot at 0 Ethan Allen Highway, directly across the street from the existing 50-member Golf Performance Center. The site is located at the corner of Route 7 and Haviland Road. The application called for nine hitting bays and a 10-space gravel parking lot. The range would have operated only during daylight hours and in favorable weather because the bays would not be covered or lit.

At a 90-minute public hearing on Tuesday, about half a dozen residents spoke against the proposal. Neighbors raised concerns about noise, traffic, and property values. In response to earlier noise complaints, the applicant revised the plan to include an enclosure with acoustic panels. After the Norwalk River Watershed Association expressed concern about artificial turf harming water, the applicant replaced the turf with natural grass.

Suzanne Sherter, a neighbor living near the proposed facility, argued that the project did not align with the town's character. "We live in a town that prides itself on its residents, its beauty, its welcomingness to families," Sherter said. "Putting a large structure in a residential area is not really looking out for the Ridgefield families."

The driving range would have allowed nonmembers to practice at a facility that otherwise requires membership for full use. A signalized crosswalk already connects the vacant lot to the Golf Performance Center. The plans stated the range would operate as a standalone facility, though additional parking and support facilities would be available across the street if needed.