Lake Valhalla Club Construction Discussion To Continue in May

Lake Valhalla residents and club members looking for a resolution to the ongoing discussion regardling potential construction and additions to the club will have to wait another month.

The Zoning Board of Adjustment voted to carry the club’s request for design waivers and final site plan approval for a project that would, among other things, expand guest parking and add lighting to the volleyball courts, at its meeting on Wednesday night. The issue will be discussed again at the board’s May 4 meeting.

According to witnesses presented by Stephen Schepis, attorney for the proposed expansion project, the project would create 389 additional parking spaces near the club. He said that the increase would serve to improve congestion caused by people parking on the residential streets near the club for events like weddings and banquets.

“People are going to park somewhere,” he said. “We are not providing parking simply for facilities but to alleviate cars on the street. [This is] not to enhance or change the use of the club.”

Residents of the Lake Valhalla spoke against the project during the meeting’s public portion, saying that the project served to benefit the club’s non-profit catering and not the members of the club itself.

“There was a time when membership was number one,” resident Donald Bauman said. “[This project is] maiking moves based on axuliary membership.”

Josh Mann, an attorny representing two residents of the Lake Valhalla area, said that proposed changes appeared to be coming in to benefit “social membership” club users, meaning non-full-time members who were allowd to use the club for weddings and special events, and because the project would constitute a “substantial change” to the property, it would need to apply for a different variance.

“We think the law shows that this requires a D1 variance,” he said.

The board will discuss the matter further at its May 4 meeting. This marks the third time the project has been caried to a future meeting since its introduction in November 2009.