Newstead Plans To Add New Pickleball Courts
The Newstead Belmont Hills Golf Resort & Spa in Warwick plans to add eight new pickleball courts, with their planning application noting that “pickleball courts are consistent with tourism zoning and will become a recognized tourist attraction for the Newstead Hotel.”
The letter for the application said, “Pickleball is rapidly becoming popular, particularly in the US, and Newstead Hotel is receiving a lot of enquiries from their guests and potential guests. Newstead Hotel would like to convert most of the land formerly used as a gold driving range into pickleball courts. The driving range was not as successful as anticipated and has been reduced to a minimal facility that is now seldom, if ever used.
“As indicated on the drawings submitted with this application, to accommodate a reasonable number of courts there will be a minor encroachment into set back from land zoned as Agricultural Reserve. This land has not been used as arable land for at least 30 years, if ever. Pickleball courts do not involve heavy construction or deep foundations and consequently they will not have any impact on the Agricultural Reserve.
“Newstead Hotel will limit use of the courts to members who will primarily be hotel guests and owners of fractional units with limited membership available to the public. Newstead operates their own vehicle for drop off and pick up and this service will be offered to pickleball players. As a result, limited parking will be required, and certainly less than was previously anticipated for the gold driving range. There is general parking available in the vicinity of the courts for any local players as indicated on the site plan.
“The pickleball courts are consistent with tourism zoning and will become a recognized tourist attraction for the Newstead Hotel. The courts have low visual impact, are set below densely vegetated banks to the north and west and fencing will be below these tree lines. LED lights will be as specifically designed for pickleball courts with light direct down to the court surface. Equipment and storage will be withing the former golf driving range building.”
