Special Permit Application for Pickleball Club Withdrawn

One day after a Public Hearing at the Planning & Zoning Commission, applicant Scott Olson has withdrawn his application for a Special Permit to operate a country club at his 777 North Street property.

In a letter addressed to Land Use Officer Martin Connor, Olson wrote:

“I would like to thank you along with the Planning and Zoning Commission for such a well run meeting on Tuesday, February 27. It was great to see so many people come out and express their opinions in such a civil manner.

Despite having so many people come out and speak in favor of this application, I am unable to ignore the voices of those who oppose my project. Having my own indoor tennis/pickleball facility has been a dream of mine for over nine years but I cannot afford to have it come at the cost of broken friendships or strained relationships with neighbors and townspeople. For this reason, I am withdrawing my application.

This pickleball facility was never engineered to be a significant money-maker. My goal was to hopefully break even and be able to enjoy some athletic and social activity in an atmosphere of camaraderie. This would be difficult to enjoy if in doing so, my neighbors felt that it would seriously diminish their quality of life.

Although in further discussions, I have been urged to move forward with the project, I feel that it’s not always about what one “can do,” but what one “should do.”

Please accept this withdrawal and know that there may come a day where I am back before the commission with a similar application in a location that will hopefully be more appealing.”