Planning board sets Aug. 22 hearing for proposed Lecan Court paddle club amid parking and septic questions

The Southampton Planning Board voted July 9 to deem an application for an indoor paddle club on Lecan Court complete and set a public hearing for Aug. 22.

Planner and applicant representatives described the proposal as the conversion of five industrial units into an indoor membership sports and recreation club with three padel courts, a small reception/pro shop and limited locker-room facilities. Paul Benacasa, speaking for the applicant, said the nearest residence is “about 500 feet” from the building and that “everything’s contained inside,” arguing that interior construction and added insulation would limit noise impacts.

Board members pressed the applicant on circulation, turnover and parking. The applicant’s representative told the board the immediate building would provide 48 on-site spaces attributable to the units involved and estimated a worst‑case peak of roughly 40–50 vehicles based on three courts, capped doubles and four staff; the planner noted there is no explicit code parking standard for this new use and recommended a focused analysis for the public hearing. The board’s discussion repeatedly returned to whether turnover (players leaving and arriving every hour) could create traffic peaks along the McGee/Lecan Court exit and whether shared parking with the adjacent building would be sufficient.

The board also asked for clarity on septic and occupancy. The applicant said existing septic capacity had been reviewed (the Rainer Group) and that the proposed use’s sanitary demand was within the system’s capacity (applicant cited a proposed 400 gallons per day estimate versus a reported existing capacity of 601 gallons per day). The chief building inspector had issued a written determination classifying the use under the town code as a membership physical‑fitness facility (special exception), which means the project must meet the special‑exception standards when it returns for decision.

Several board members requested the applicant submit a written summary before the public hearing that spells out hours of operation, membership/turnover assumptions, the expected hourly schedule and a photographic parking‑utilization survey of peak times. The planner said the town would notify adjoining property owners, including Lecan Court residents, per the certified‑mail rules that apply to condo and multiple‑owner properties.

The board’s vote to deem the application complete included language preserving the board’s ability to hold the hearing open or deem the application incomplete later if required information was not submitted. The public hearing is scheduled for the board’s Aug. 22 meeting.