Politics & Government

Township to Allow Noe Pond Club Extended Use of Outdoor Pavilion

The club will now be able to use it for 19 nights per year, instead of for four nights per year.

The Chatham Township Planning Board took action to allow the Noe Pond Club to use its outdoor pavilion more often that it had previously been allowed.

The Planning Board memorialized a resolution at a meeting Monday that will allow the club to use the pavilion for parties or other events 19 nights per year. Previously, it had only been allowed to use it four nights a year, and was required to notify the township of the nights it intended to use it.

The new resolution would not require the club to notify the township when it intends to use the outdoor pavilion.

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"Such dates shall be scheduled at the club's discretion," Planning Board Attorney William Richardson said.

Noe Pond Club members had made their case for extended use of the facility at a previous Planning Board meeting. On Monday, Richardson paraphrased what they had told the board.

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They had argued they needed to use the pavilion for more nights in order to provide better services to members. They also said many non-residential properties, such as the township police and Department of Public Works headquarters and Fairmount Country Club—are right nearby, and said because of that, noise is not as big of a factor.

They also said there have never been significant complaints about noise emanating from the property, and pointed out the Fairmount Country Club is allowed to use its facility for extended hours at night (it has a restaurant on site).

The club has been allowed to use the facility at night since 2004, when the Planning Board granted it that permission. That is when the four-nights-a-year regulation went into effect.

Richardson said the club could return to the Planning Board if it wanted permission to use the club for even more nights than the 19 it will be permitted.

There was some talk at the meeting of whether the club should be required to notify the police department when it is having an event. Board members determined that would be determined as future events unfolded.

Councilman and Planning Board member Bailey Brower, who founded Noe Pond Club with his wife, Taz, left the room for the vote on the matter.


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