Sports East will be on the agenda of the Zoning Board of Appeals again in August.
The developers of the proposed fitness club, which was shot down by the ZBA in December when the board ruled it did not meet the town code requirements for a membership club, filed a modified application to address the issues raised by the ZBA.
But that application was also denied by the building department and Sports East is appealing that denial to the ZBA.
“We literally did everything they asked,” said Sports East partner Joe Slovak, who called the building department denial letter “somewhat surprising.”
Partner Paul Pawlowski said in an interview last month the new plan ditched “things apparently perceived as commercial, including the rock wall and batting cage.” It significantly scales back the size of the building and shifts emphasis to outdoor activities, he said. The outdoor amenities are now more than double the indoor amenities.
“We wanted to make sure it fits the code perfectly, word for word,” Pawlowski said.
An appeal to the ZBA was filed in early May.
Sports East needs to obtain a special exception use permit from the ZBA.
Slovak, an educator who has taught in public schools for more than 20 years, said he is taking a more active role advocating for this project.
He started a Sports East Facebook page. The page was motivated, at least in part, by rumors about Sports East that residents have asked him about, Slovak said.
“The idea is to get the information out there, to answer people’s questions and to head off any rumors,” he said.
“We want to make the community part of the conversation by using social media as it can be used, in a positive way, to get our message out,” Slovak said.
The first Sports East application was filed in December 2015. After a public hearing, the ZBA referred the application to the planning board for review, including a determination under the State Environmental Quality Review Act. The planning board’s approval of the site plan is also required.
After a public hearing, the planning board sent the application back to the ZBA to determine whether the contemplated use fit the definition of a membership club in the zoning code. On Dec. 1, 2016, the ZBA ruled that it did not. Sports East filed a revised application on Dec. 15.
