Staff Writer

Cape Arundel Golf Club is moving forward with plans to build a practice field with tee boxes and a 3,000-square-foot range house despite neighbor’s complaints.

Arundel’s Zoning Board of Appeals ruled Thursday the planning board was correct in approving Cape Arundel Golf Club’s expansion under an existing use permit.

The club plans a range house, 25 tee boxes, maintenance building and paved, 46-car parking lot for the expansion.

The club property, which lists its address in Kennebunkport, is located in Arundel and Kennebunkport and abuts Kennebunk where the Kennebunk River forms the municipal boundary. The undeveloped land slated for the practice field is in Arundel.

Neighbor Mary Castner, who said her family has owned their Kennebunkport property for more than 60 years, filed the appeal with Arundel over the planning board’s April 8 decision that allowed the expansion.

  “I’ve never objected to having a golf course around, but the practice field is going to be different,” Castner said.

Since Castner’s family moved into the house that’s directly across from the practice field in 1950, a few people  have come to hit balls. But Castner thinks the newly permitted parking lot and tee boxes are different.

“They applied for an existing use permit to expand, but there (is not a) building, not parking there now. Right from the start it didn’t seem right,” Castner said.

Another abutter, Ric Walters, said he was upset because he wasn’t notified about the plan because he lives in Kennebunk and the expansion is taking place in Arundel.

“First off, we are abutters and we’re abutters because the town of Arundel designated us as abutters. We’re directly across the Kennebunk River within the 500-feet limit,” Walters said.

The neighbors have had some problems with golf course changes in the past. Castner said she has called the golf course when the maintenance crew mows before 7 a.m. Walters said last year the club removed trees on their side of the river. Walters was told not to remove trees on his property directly across the river because of shoreland zoning restrictions.

Noise is another concern.

“I don’t think it’s pleasant at all. We already live on the course and hear tee-off on hole number two every 15 minutes on a busy day, but to have potentially 25 people all swing at once – it’s an undesirable situation,” Walters said.

Other concerns from Castner include adding a time for the range house to close and determining whether it will be used for weddings or other social functions.

“The course is not lit, it’s limited by when people go out and daylight, they could drive balls until dusk,” said Tad Redway, Arundel planner. “The facility is not geared toward functions. It’s too small.”

Board of appeals members, citing the land use ordinance, agreed with the planning board on each of Castner’s six issues. Only Roland Drew supported the appeal.

 “It is very disappointing, I was surprised there wasn’t more discussion of issues, it seemed predetermined,” Castner said after the meeting.

Castner’s lawyer, Paul Cadigan, said they have not decided whether to appeal to Superior Court. He has 45 days to file an appeal on her behalf once he receives the written ruling by the zoning board of appeals.

Staff Writer Suzanne Hodgson can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 233.