Stowe Country Club plans 73-unit housing development

This story by Aaron Calvin was first published in the Stowe Reporter on August 15.

As part of the ongoing overhaul of its golf course and other recreational offerings, Stowe Country Club is planning to build 73 units of housing between two separate developments off Cape Cod Road.

The developments include an array of condominiums along with single-family home lots nestled among the greens, on land that has been owned by the Mt. Mansfield Company since the early 1960s.

The country club is currently undertaking an ambitious renovation of its offerings ahead of its 75th anniversary next year, which includes revamping its 18-hole golf course along with its membership program and the addition of racquet sports, a fitness center and pool and upgraded dining services.

In materials submitted to the Stowe zoning office, a representative for the club stated that the development is meant to support the “long-term sustainability of the renovated country club.” The project, originally proposed in April of this year, was revised substantially before it appeared before the development review board in June and then in greater detail earlier this month.

The original proposal from the country club planned for 91 new units of housing, which they calculated using the density-per-acre allowances under Act 47, also known as the HOME Act, a law passed last year that seeks to supersede local zoning regulations to encourage the construction of more housing.

Instead of following through with this proposal, though, the plan that’s now on the table includes the total area of the country club’s land — 175 acres spread across an area zoned for two different levels of rural residential development — which the club has calculated allows about 76 units of density under pre-HOME Act density calculations.

By calculating density in this way, the club is asking the development review board to approve their planned unit development subdivision of the land without asking the board to interpret this new law, which could lead a lengthy appeals process and protracted deliberation in environmental court.

The country club is requesting a setback waiver as well, asking the board to approve just 100 feet where normally a 200-foot setback could be required.

The plans were also amended to address several concerns raised by Stowe public works director Harry Shepard about the development’s possible impact on Stowe’s water and sewer system.

“This is a very large project with a lot happening in a sensitive area,” Shepard wrote. “The proximity to our Village Green water supply and the Cape Cod Road intersection with Mountain Road with the rec path crossing being important items that will need careful considerations.”

A representative for the country club provided a response to each of Shepard’s individual concerns, which included details about a traffic study, a connection to the recreation path and the private sewer collection and pump system that may be built to service the development’s wastewater.

Some of the new country club development’s potential neighbors in the Stoweflake condominiums on the far side of the road have their own concerns. A group of these residents, represented by Stowe lawyer Hal Stevens, submitted a list of their concerns and list of potential concessions from the country club that could ameliorate them.

These residents want fencing to mitigate possible foot traffic onto their properties, privately funded improvements to the Mountain Road-Cape Cod Road intersection to alleviate increased traffic and more detailed plans to deal with stormwater drainage issues.

More broadly, they question whether this development, which they characterize as better suited for an “urban area,” is even allowed in rural residential development areas under the intent outlined in the Stowe town plan.

“The surrounding area should not have its semi-rural and village characteristics ruined because the applicant has chosen a high-density development to protect its driving range and golf course, which are for the private use of members and not a public benefit,” Stevens wrote.

One Stoweflake condo resident, Debra Reiser, submitted her own list of concerns, which are similar to her neighbors. Her lawyer, James Dumont, tried to have consideration of the project discontinued at an Aug. 6 development review board meeting by claiming all the abutting properties did not receive proper notice of changes to the project, but this wasn’t determined to be the case.

The review board will continue to consider the project at its Sept. 3 meeting.

Senior housing

In other Stowe zoning news, the development review board also continued its look at a new development of 55 units of predominantly senior housing renovated from a former commercial building.

The project on Mountain Road across from Cady Hill Forest will include a below-ground parking garage and three levels of housing composed of studio, one and two-bedroom apartments with a gym and community gathering spaces.

The building formerly known as the Springer-Miller complex was bought by Nick Donahue, a former Vermonter now living in South Carolina, for $5.35 million in 2022. The plan to renovate the building with more housing was initially approved by the review board as part of its sale, and now Donahue is seeking approval for its mostly senior occupants and a height waiver for the building.

The builder overseeing the project, Aaron Stewart, clarified at the Aug. 6 hearing that 51 percent of the building’s residences will be occupied by at least one individual 55 years old and vacant units will be advertised for applicants over the age of 55 for a month before opening it up to the wider public.

Stewart also mentioned that a possible water supply issue raised by the town could be a possible barrier to the project, but the project will continue to be discussed at the Sept. 3 meeting.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Stowe Country Club plans 73-unit housing development .