Planning board recommends Zoning Board approve Blue Hill Country Club plan for 23 Pecunet Street with noise and bird‑mitigation notes

The Canton Planning Board voted 3–0 on May 20 to give a positive recommendation to the Zoning Board for a site plan at 23 Pecunet Street that would relocate the country club’s wedding lawn and add three padel courts, while urging consideration of bird‑strike mitigation and possible shorter hours.

Representatives for Blue Hill Country Club described the project as a site‑plan modification that would move the existing wedding lawn to the east of the parking lot, install a six‑foot fence and screening plantings around the lawn, build three glass‑enclosed padel courts, add court lighting and other amenities, and remove 17 parking spaces. Brandon Lee of Kelley Engineering presented the plan and said the application previously appeared before the board on March 18 and April 1 and is scheduled before the Zoning Board on May 28.

The board’s acoustical concerns were addressed by consultant Mark Wallace, who said his firm conducted long‑term sound monitoring at the north property line and ran CADNA‑A three‑dimensional acoustic models. Using conservative assumptions — including a 100‑decibel source level for a padel court, a 2 dB safety factor and simultaneous operation of all courts — Wallace said predicted sound levels at nearby residences generally fell in the roughly 14–40 decibel range and were below the thresholds cited in Canton’s noise bylaw (section 14‑58) and below Mass. DEP comparative guidance. "We concluded it would not be a major impact," Wallace said, adding that occasional audibility during daytime recreation is possible.

Board members pressed presenters on several points during a Q&A: whether padel play would be scheduled, how many players could be on site at one time, proximity of the courts to the driving range and pool, landscaping and screening plans, and whether the plexiglass walls could cause bird strikes. Architect Greg Schunick said owners sometimes apply visible distraction markers or film to glass to reduce bird collisions; he characterized mitigation as a case‑by‑case design decision. "We put distraction markers — essentially a translucent film — so that the birds can see there’s something there," Schunick said.

Several members said the posted hours shown in application materials (7 a.m. to 9 p.m.) felt long even if they meet the technical noise limits; the board noted hours are a Zoning Board issue. The board’s motion asked the Zoning Board to consider bird‑strike mitigation and recommended the applicant and Zoning Board "take into consideration" hours (a suggestion of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. was discussed).

Speaker S3 moved the recommendation; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote. The meeting record notes two newly seated board members did not take part in the vote; the tally was recorded as 3–0 in favor.

The project team did not provide a construction completion date at the meeting. The Zoning Board is scheduled to consider the site plan on May 28; the Planning Board’s positive recommendation will be part of that record.