TUALATIN – The Stafford Hills Racquet and Fitness Club officially passed its city of Tualatin architectural review on Nov. 6, moving it one step closer to being built.
Neighbors have questioned the increased noise and traffic the proposed club at 5916 S.W. Nyberg Lane would bring to the area. The plans calls for a 4.9-acre parcel to be developed and more than 90,000 square feet of tennis courts and exercise facilities to be built.
People in favor of the club say it will be hugely beneficial to the Portland area, which currently lacks enough tennis courts for those who play the sport recreationally, for fitness sake and as a profession. Anni Miller, the director of tennis for the city of Lake Oswego, said courts are overloaded throughout the metro area.
Initial plans for the club showed that it would have seven outdoor tennis courts, three indoor courts, an outdoor swimming pool and parking for 131 vehicles. The facility will also have a clubhouse that includes a café, a pro shop, locker rooms, massage therapy, childcare and an 8,000-square-foot fitness area.
The club would also rent out its facilities for tennis tournaments and parties, but Jim Zupancic, who is developing the club, has said that would be kept to a minimum.
The facility is proposed to operate from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., causing some neighbors to worry that cars driving around early in the morning will wake them up. Although the clubhouse is more than 200 feet away from any homes, many parking spots are as close as 10 feet to some houses on Southwest Mobile Place.
Zupancic had originally planned to put a 130-unit lodge in the 15.7-acre plot of land. But his company, the Zupancic Group, announced in December the racquet and fitness club would be built there instead after complaints from neighbors.
Appeals of the review board’s decision are due to the city’s Community Development Department, 18876 S.W. Martinazzi Ave., by this Friday, Nov. 20, at 5 p.m. The department can be reached by phone at 503-691-3026.