Farmington Planning Officials Deny Tennis Club Outdoor Expansion Request

After several months of conversation and negotiation, Farmington Planning commissioners on Monday denied a proposed recreational expansion at . 

The commission on to add a basketball court, small soccer field and a 30-foot-high ropes course on the north side of the building, which is located on Farmington Road. The action followed a public hearing during which neighboring condo owners voiced strong objections to the project. 

Architect Dana Richardson of Jeffrey Scott Architects said the club's revised plans, presented during a Monday meeting at , represented "significant" changes, compared with what was originally proposed. The new plan moved the ropes course and other active areas farther from the condos. In addition, Richardson said, a plan to add evergreen trees as a buffer was scrapped in favor of leaving in place heavy vegetation and mature trees and adding "under-story" plantings.

"We like that and we think you like that as well," Richardson said of the existing vegetation. "We want to keep that going and establish a healthier landscape." 

Planning commission chair Kevin Christiansen allowed residents to comment on the revisions, and they were no more supportive of the new plan than they were of the old.

John Anderson, who sent a letter to commissioners, said the side of the tennis club building would act as a "bandshell. It's going to reflect the noise in our direction." He said condo residents hear noise from the , even though the tennis club stands between them. 

Planning commissioner David Gronbach said he could not approve or deny the plan, given that the landscaping was not clearly defined. He cast the lone "no" vote after commissioner Sara Bowman's motion to deny the application, based on findings that the use would have a detrimental impact on nearby residences and that the proposed ropes course is not compatible with existing traditional buildings and would change the character of the area.

On Tuesday, city manager Vince Pastue said the city code does not provide for relief through the Zoning Board of Appeals. Under the code, which is posted on the city's website, an application that is denied cannot be submitted for a year, unless there is "new evidence or proof of changed conditions relating to any reason noted for the denial found to be valid by the planning commission."