Home Economy Government Westerly Town Council defeats golf resort proposal for Winnapaug Country Club

Westerly Town Council defeats golf resort proposal for Winnapaug Country Club

By

Katie Castellani

-

04/25/2024

Golf plan — ONE OF THE PLANS for the Winnapaug Country Club is to build 2,300 residential units in 90 buildings on the Westerly golf course. / SCREENSHOT OF WINN PROPERTIES LLC FILING

WESTERLY – The Town Council voted to defeat one of the two starkly different development proposals for the Winnapaug Country Club, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s out of the running. On Wednesday the council voted 4-3 to defeat a proposed zoning overlay introduced by the town’s Economic Development Commission that would preserve the golf

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WESTERLY – The Town Council voted to defeat one of the two starkly different development proposals for the Winnapaug Country Club, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it's out of the running. On Wednesday the council voted 4-3 to defeat a proposed zoning overlay introduced by the town’s Economic Development Commission that would preserve the golf course and create a golf resort along with 700 residential units on the 120-acre property. The council was originally scheduled to hold a public hearing on the topic but voted to suspend the rules and take a vote on the ordinance – only hearing from Peter Skwirz, a lawyer for the nonprofit Keep Westerly Green, to answer councilors’ questions. The proposal came as a way to avoid an attempt by property owner Winn Properties LLC to level the 18-hole public golf course to make way for 2,300 residential units, 30% of which would be designated for low- and moderate-income households. This is the second proposal to develop a golf resort on the property that was turned down, after Winn Properties’ bid was defeated in 2022. Some councilors who voted against shooting the ordinance down say it could take another two years before the proposal is presented again and others in favor said there’s enough interest and support for the idea to help accelerate the process. Before voting, councilors noted that even if the proposed ordinance was rejected, they could still create a group to discuss the issue further. Now the property owners face a few options, including coming back with a revised proposal for a golf resort or turning their focus to the 2,300-unit housing development proposal before the Planning Board. Nicholas Scola, who owns Winn Properties with his wife, Jill, previously told Providence Business News that the 2,300-unit housing proposal was drawn up after their original golf resort pitch was shot down and said he would prefer to move forward with the resort plan. Representatives for Winn Properties did not immediately respond to PBN’s request for comment Thursday. While the future of the golf course has been the subject of extensive debates, representatives from both sides of the discussion indicated that they would be interested in continuing conversations to reach an agreement for how best to move forward with a golf resort. "The decision by the Westerly Town Council will preserve the future for Westerly's neighborhoods and will maintain the golf course for future generations," Ed Rossomando, with Keep Westerly Green, said in a statement to PBN Thursday. The group has been vocal about its concerns over the density of the proposed resort’s residential units and how it would affect the environment. In a statement to PBN Thursday on behalf of Keep Westerly Green, Skwirz said that the group would consider further discussions related to scaling back the resort with “reasonable housing units.” “KWG will continue to work on behalf of the citizens of Westerly to preserve open green space, support development that maintains and enhances local neighborhoods, and protects our limited inventory of natural resources,” Skwirz said. During the meeting Matthew Landry, the attorney representing Winn Properties, also noted there’s been extensive collaboration among several parties, including Keep Westerly Green, the town’s Economic Development Council and Winn Properties. And while ambiguities remain, the Town Council’s input during further discussions would be beneficial. It was not immediately clear when, or if, a proposal to create a golf resort on the property would be presented again. The Planning Board is scheduled to host a public hearing on the 2,300-unit housing development proposal during its meeting May 7. Katie Castellani is a PBN staff writer. You may contact her at Castellani@PBN.com.