Historic district denies request to keep private basketball court in Point neighborhood

The Historic District Commission voted to deny two applications seeking to retain a private sports court built across lots at 47 and 45 Bridge Street, concluding the facility is incompatible with the Point neighborhood’s small‑lot historic character.

Attorney Robert Silva and preservation consultant Frederick Stachura presented for the applicants, arguing the court is reversible, uses permeable materials and is largely screened by fencing and plantings. Stachura said he found the court “does not negatively impact the historic district at all” and described it as a reversible, well‑designed private amenity located at the fringe of the historic district.

Staff and several commissioners disagreed. Preservation staff highlighted that the court was constructed without prior approvals, that the site is within a densely settled part of the Point, and that the court’s size, massing and finish are not compatible with the surrounding streetscape. Commissioners raised concerns about precedent, visibility from Memorial and Bridge streets, and the effect of a private recreation facility of this scale in a small‑lot, historic neighborhood.

The zoning officer had determined the installation constituted a structure and that it encroached on lot setbacks and possibly required variance relief; commissioners noted that zoning and HDC review are separate but related processes and must both be satisfied. Several commissioners said they were troubled that the facility had been constructed without permits and that the construction bypassed standard application channels.

After extended debate the commission moved to deny both applications under Newport Standard 17 (compatibility) and cited the staff report in its reasoning. Commissioners said the denial is specific to the court’s scale, siting and incompatibility on these small lots and is not a blanket ban on recreational facilities elsewhere in the city.