A Hanover resident who opposes the College's plan to build a rugby clubhouse near Reservoir Road has filed suit against the Town of Hanover in an effort to block the start of construction.
The lawsuit filed by Frederick Crory, whose property is adjacent to the proposed site, alleges that the Hanover Zoning Board erred when they ruled on Aug. 11 that the 5,400 square-foot facility does not require a special exception to zoning laws.
Crory argues that the building should be classified as an outdoor recreation facility. Under town law, outdoor recreation facilities require a special exception to zoning restrictions. The zoning board ruled that the clubhouse was for educational use.
If the zoning board had mandated a special exception, the building plan would have been required to meet stricter criteria. The College would have to prove that the structure will not adversely affect highways, town facilities, sidewalks or the character of the area.
Crory was denied a request for a zoning board hearing at the end of September. He will make his case before a judge at Grafton County Superior Court in about a month, he said.
Zoning Chairman William Fischel said the board's decision was not easy to make.
"The Board went back and forth in this argument," he said. Fischel said the board eventually reached a unanimous conclusion that the rugby clubhouse should be classified as educational rather than recreational.
Crory said the zoning board's ruling denies the residents the right to "speak up and voice their concerns" with the zoning board.
The $1 million two-story clubhouse for the men's and women's rugby teams will contain showers, lockers, restrooms, offices, team rooms, training rooms, a storage area, a viewing deck and a kitchen. A large part of the second floor will be a social area reserved for functions like post-match dinners with opposing teams. It will be the finest rugby facility in America, according to coach Wayne Young.
Most of the money for construction came from the estate of writer Corey Ford. Although he never attended the College, Ford was an avid rugby fan, and he left money upon his death for the construction of a clubhouse to promote the sport.
