Fish & Game Club Wants Bigger Clubhouse

By Andrew Gorosko

The Fairfield County Fish & Game Protective Association is seeking Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) approval to replace the existing clubhouse on its property with a new, modern facility that would be almost triple the size.

The association owns approximately 300 acres on the Newtown-Monroe town line, which it uses for its members’ hunting, fishing, and various shooting sports. Roughly 90 percent of the site lies in Newtown. The property’s main entrance is at 310 Hammertown Road in Monroe. A secondary entrance extends from 14 Walker Hill Road in Newtown.

The club’s proposal to build a new larger clubhouse on its property has drawn opposition from a number of Walker Hill Road residents, who charge that expanding the facilities could lead to problems for them.

The opponents spoke at an emotional May 19 P&Z public hearing, at which the association aired its construction plans and explained why the P&Z should grant the club a special exception to the zoning regulations for the project.

Attorney Andrew Buzzi, who is an association member, presented the club’s construction proposal.  The organization, founded in 1907, provides it members with opportunities for hunting, fishing, and shooting sports, he said. The group has 475 members and has no intention of increasing its membership, he added.

The association wants to demolish its existing 1,580-square-foot clubhouse and replace it with a modern 4,300-square-foot facility, according to architect James Thompson, who also is a club member. The nearest property line to the construction site is 690 feet away, Mr Thompson told P&Z members.

The existing clubhouse, which seats 60 people for sit-down club dinners, would be replaced by a clubhouse that seats 160 people, he said. There would be no increase in the designated parking area, which would hold 88 vehicles, he said.

At a recent association event known as “Kids’ Day,” approximately 475 people were on the club premises for various events.

Neighbors’ Concerns

Commenting on the association’s construction proposal, Scott Beals of 11 Walker Hill Road objected to the group’s plans to build a new, larger clubhouse. Mr Beals asked how the association would limit the attendance at events at a larger facility.

Mr Beals, who lives near the association’s Walker Hill Road driveway, said that the driveway receives much use by association members. Mr Beals said that only about one-eighth of the association’s members are Newtown residents.

Mr Beals, Anibal and Alona Henriques of 8 Walker Hill Road, and Douglas and Elizabeth Mackay of 12 Walker Hill Road wrote a letter to P&Z members in which they raise many concerns about the clubhouse project.

They state that traffic planning for the project is inadequate. They charge that the redevelopment project could result in excessive noise in the area. The signers add that the project could pose potential water well problems and cause potential environmental contamination. They add that the project could cause septic system problems.

The signers state that the project could result in decreased property values and could potentially damage area wetlands. 

They also express concerns about public safety, in urging P&Z members to reject the construction application.

At the May 19 session, Alona Henriques asked which driveway of the club’s two driveways would be used for construction traffic during a clubhouse replacement project. Ms Henriques said that traffic has increased near her house since the association widened its Walker Hill Road driveway.

Ms Henriques said that a new, larger clubhouse could mean that the association would expand its membership, adding that an expanded membership could mean more noise in the area. Ms Henriques said she now hears the competitive use of firearms on the association’s property from her home.

“I don’t think we should allow this project,” she said.

Response

Association member Kenneth Kuntz of Monroe told P&Z members that club members fire their weapons pointing “away” from the roads in the area. The current membership of the club is at a “nice size,” he added. The facility has sufficient parking area, he said.

“It’s undeveloped land and we intend to keep it that way,” Mr Kuntz said.

The association would use a larger clubhouse for its own events, he added.

P&Z member Edward Kelleher asked how the association would use a larger clubhouse. “This is a big increase in size, and I think there’s going to be a big increase in usage,” Mr Kelleher said.

Association president Bob Zenko of Monroe told P&Z members that the Walker Hill Road entrance gets limited use. The property’s usage level varies based on the time of year, he added.

Club member Steven Bowen of 2 Honey Lane said few group members use the Walker Hill Road entrance for access to the property.

Project opponent Douglas Mackay of 12 Walker Hill Road responded that there appears to be regular traffic at that entrance.

“Every day of the year, there is regular shooting and significant shooting,” Mr Mackay said of the association property. The site is overused and poses noise pollution problems, he said. There is a steady discharge of firearms on the site in the daytime, he said.

Building a larger clubhouse would increase the property’s usage, he said.

Club members Rick Carlson of 28 Birch Hill Road and Louis Panigutti of 21 Huntingtown Road both told P&Z members that the association needs a new clubhouse.

But Russell Anderson of 91 Great Ring Road said that during a recent weekend morning, “thousands” of rounds of ammunition were fired on the association’s property. Mr Anderson questioned whether the association’s membership would remain at current levels if a larger clubhouse is built.

Association member Gary Liljengren of 15 Split Rock Road said that the group takes safety issues seriously.

Anibal Henriques of 8 Walker Hill Road expressed fear that children in his yard might be shot by a stray round of ammunition.

P&Z members decided that the public hearing on the association’s clubhouse proposal would resume at a future P&Z session.

Before that occurs, the association will need to submit a formal traffic study to the P&Z describing the traffic-flow implications of the project, as well as provide information on the soil erosion and sedimentation aspects of the construction work.