Ridgefield Winter Club Files Zoning Application

The Ridgefield Winter Club (RWC) today announced it has filed its formal application with the town’s Planning and Zoning Department to transform the old, deteriorating Pinchbeck Nursery into a strong family-focused winter destination that will bring community-wide benefits to Ridgefield. The RWC’s website  and Facebook page host up-to-date plans and information that outline the vision for the Club and the benefits this project will bring to Ridgefield. 

“The Ridgefield Winter Club will add a unique new asset to all that our town has to offer,” RWC Founder Bud Brown said, “and we are thrilled to be moving forward. We truly embrace the importance of being a good steward of the community, and we’re proud to present an application that incorporates Ridgefield’s local standards and fulfills the promise to support the community as an attractive place in which to live and raise a family.” 

The RWC will create a premier facility with an outdoor ice rink for families to gather socially and build community and camaraderie through a range of interactive indoor and outdoor activities. Indoor entertainment offerings will include four bowling lanes, a golf simulation room, a tabletop game room, homework rooms, casual dining with a bar, locker rooms, along with other amenities. Outdoor activity will focus on providing skating lessons, social family skates, and intra-RWC events, including hockey, figure skating, broomball, and curling to its members.

The RWC’s ice rink and Clubhouse will operate seasonally from November through March, and the entire RWC will be closed during summer months. From April-May and September-October, the ice rink will be closed, and the Clubhouse will operate on a reduced schedule. On weekdays, from November through March, the ice rink will open for skating at 7 a.m., and hockey at 8 a.m., and all recreational activities on the ice will end by 9:45 p.m., or earlier. The ice rink will open at 8 a.m. on weekends and all recreational activities on the ice will end by 9:45 p.m., or earlier. The Clubhouse will close by 11 p.m., or earlier.

“We’ve taken great care to replicate the residential look and feel of our town, operate with modest hours and months of usage, and use proven lighting technology as well as measures intended to eliminate any potential noise effects outside the property lines,” Brown said. “Transforming this old, deteriorating nursery into an attractive, freshly landscaped facility will replace the existing nonconforming land use with a conforming use allowed by special permit, thereby aligning with current town zoning priorities. And through this transformation, we will bring a full range of positive economic benefits to Ridgefield by creating jobs and generating an estimated five times the amount of tax revenue currently paid by the site to help fund vital town services.”

Brown added: “We are so appreciative of the positive response and excitement from community members who share our belief that the RWC will strengthen the community for years to come. To date, we

have received more than 115 letters from supporters and nearly 600 people have liked the Facebook page in support of the Club. We encourage residents to check out these resources for updates and more information as we continue our ongoing outreach.” 

For more information, please visit www.ridgefieldwinterclub.com or facebook.com/supportRWC/.