ZBA approves Bass River Sports World plan to replace batting and soccer cages with kiddie go‑karts and bumper cars

The Grama Zoning Board of Appeals on Feb. 27 unanimously approved a special permit allowing Bass River Realty LLC (doing business as Bass River Sports World) to remove existing batting and soccer cages at 934 Route 28 and install a kiddie go‑kart track, a bumper‑car area and a 30‑by‑45‑foot maintenance/storage building.

Attorney Paul Tardiff and fourth‑generation operator Jeff Nicanello presented the proposal, describing a plan to use electric, lower‑speed vehicles targeted at children roughly 7 to 11 years old. The applicant said the kiddie go‑kart track will use smaller carts (approximately six single-seat carts and two double-seat carts), run at roughly 8–9 miles per hour, and the bumper-car area would have about six cars. The new storage/pit building will house and charge carts overnight.

The applicant said the work will be concentrated in the existing paved footprint for batting and soccer cages; no increase in setbacks is proposed and existing chain‑link fencing is intended to remain where it now sits. The petitioner said the new rides will be electric and therefore expected to produce little engine noise; seats and full harnesses are planned for carts and helmets are not required under the referenced standards. Board members asked about lighting, landscaping and safety; the board added a condition that new lighting be downward‑directed and contained on site to avoid spillover to neighboring properties and asked the petitioner to consider adding trees in the parking area to improve frontage landscaping.

A motion to approve petition 5,162 as presented, with the lighting-containment condition, passed unanimously. Board members praised the longstanding family business and noted it contributes off‑season events such as a winter carnival. The petitioner will submit a draft decision for the board to finalize.