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Norwalk agency accepts application to remove deteriorated paddle‑tennis court in wetlands
Summary
The Norwalk Conservation Commission/Inland Wetland Agency received an after‑the‑fact application from Strathmore Lane Condominium to remove a failing paddle‑tennis court located inside mapped wetlands; the agency said it cannot decide the application tonight and will consider it after the required 14‑day receipt period.
The Norwalk Conservation Commission and Inland Wetland Agency received an application from Strathmore Lane Condominium to remove a paddle‑tennis court located inside mapped wetlands near the Westport–Norwalk line.
Agency staff said the court has been in disrepair for more than 20 years and the condominium association proposes removing the court and doing plantings within the roughly 60‑by‑20‑foot wetland area where the court sits. Alexis (staff member) told the commission the application is a receipt item and that the agency cannot render a decision the night it is received; by statute the commission must wait a minimum of 14 days before making a decision, which brings consideration to the commission’s next meeting.
Applicant Ed Lyons described the access as pedestrian only and said the work will be done by hand, with existing pilings cut flush to minimize disturbance. Alexis said no erosion controls were proposed because the contractor intends to remove the court with hand tools and leave a thin layer of leaf litter in place afterward. Commissioners asked a few technical questions but raised no substantive objections during the receipt discussion.
The agency will place the item on its next agenda after the 14‑day receipt period; staff signaled they will prepare a resolution or draft conditions for the commission to consider at that meeting.
The record assembled for the item includes a flagged wetland delineation conducted within the past two years and aerial imagery showing the court location adjacent to the Indian River.
The commission did not take formal action on the application at the Feb. 11 meeting beyond receipt of the filing and scheduling the item for decision after the statutory waiting period.
